Just One More Try
by Diva In The House
Summary: Takes place after a certain date from hell. House knows he screwed up, now will Cameron give him a chance to make it right? NOW COMPLETE. Contains spoilers for Season 5.
1. Call It A Do Over

**Disclaimers: I don't own them, so don't bother suing me. :P**

**Another one of those "what-ifs" that has been done to death…what if that "date" had turned out a little differently?**

_This night has been a complete disaster. _Cameron thought to herself as she clung to House on the back of his motorcycle. _What the hell was I thinking? Why would I think he would act any differently tonight than at any other time?_

_I was such an ass, a complete and utter ASS._ House was lost in his own thoughts as he sped to Cameron's apartment. _Did I really *have* to shut her down that way? I never meant to hurt her…_

House brought the motorcycle to a stop in front of Cameron's building. Cameron removed the helmet as House swung his right leg over the seat, unclipping his cane.

"Don't worry, House. I'm a big girl, I can walk myself to the door." Cameron spoke in clipped, icy tones.

House shrugged. "It's been a while since I've done this 'dating' thing, but I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to walk the lady to her door. It's the least I can do…" His voice trailed off to a near-whisper as they arrived at the entrance.

The two paused at the door in awkward silence, Cameron fumbling for her keys, House bouncing his cane on the stoop. _What's the protocol for ending a date from hell?_ Cameron wondered as she continued to dig through her purse for her keys._ Well, hmm, gee, that sucked, see you Monday? Ugh…_

"Found Hoffa yet?" House's voice cut through Cameron's reverie. "I'll call the FBI and tell them we've solved the case."

"Sorry…having trouble finding my keys." Cameron mumbled as she felt her face heat up. _God, it just doesn't matter what a jerk he is…he still has that effect on me!_

"Forget the damn keys for a minute." House placed his large, rough hand over Cameron's soft and smooth one. _Last chance, House. Do *not* screw this up._ "Look at me."

Cameron lifted her eyes to meet House's. _Gah, damn near heartstopping…what was I going to say again? _

"Look, Cameron…about tonight…" House took a deep breath and leaned heavily on his cane. "This," gesturing to his coat and tie, "this just isn't me, and I don't think it's really you, either."

"I'd really like to try this again." House rushed on. _If I don't get this out now… _"You know…like the monster truck show?" Cameron looked slightly baffled. House sighed, shifting slightly and rolling his eyes. "Remember, we went, no pressure, no expectations, just fun. And it was. Fun, I mean. Yeah…" _Great, now I'm babbling and making a damn fool of myself. I should just turn around and walk away now. There's no way in hell I can fix this. Forget it, House, just forget it. _He turned on his heel and started down the steps to his motorcycle.

"House? Wait!" Cameron's sharp voice stopped him in his tracks. She trotted gracefully after him, catching up to House and reaching for his hand. For the first time since the beginning of the evening, a gentle smile crossed her soft features.

"*If* you're serious…" House looked up to meet Cameron's gaze as she spoke quietly. "Then, yes, I would like to try this 'date' thing again…but maybe without the 'date' part."

House's normally somber face lit with a slight smile. "Think I can probably make that happen. Maybe not monster trucks this time but…something fun." House wrapped his hand around the nape of Cameron's neck and pulled her to him, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "So…see you Monday, then?"

Cameron nodded, too stunned to speak just then. Shaking slightly, she found her keys. "See, found them! Call off the search party!" She squeezed House's hand lightly and kissed him softly on the cheek. "See you Monday, House."

**I'm feeling ambitious now…attempting a multi-chapter fic! Read, enjoy, review.**


	2. What Was I Thinking?

**Thanks for your reviews so far. Insert the usual disclaimers here: I don't own the characters or any songs referenced in the writing of this fic. It'd be a lot cooler if I did, though…**

**Cameron**

My hands were still shaking slightly as I turned the lock and entered my apartment. I reached up to touch my forehead, expecting to find a mark left behind by House's lips. Finding none, I kicked off my shoes at the door and turned on the TV.

I surfed through the channels, but my mind was on anything but the TV. House's behavior during and after our date baffled me. On one hand, he presented as a classic case of a guy who just didn't know what he wanted. On the other hand…oh, let's face it, I had no idea. I didn't even know what made me *want* to give him one more shot. Obviously I just enjoy having my heart stomped on. That's the only way this whole…thing makes sense.

I sighed in frustration. _No sense in analyzing this tonight, _I told myself. The more I tried to wrap my brain around everything, the more muddled it became. I poured myself a big glass of Shiraz and settled in on the couch, allowing the mindless drivel on TV to calm my racing thoughts. Before long the combination of wine and TV had my head nodding, and I headed off to bed, no closer to a solution than I had been hours earlier, but caring a little less.

**House**

I stood by my motorcycle, just watching Cameron walk up her steps and let herself into the building. Her keys rattled more than they should have, betraying her emotions. I couldn't say I blamed her, I was probably feeling much the same. There was something about Cameron that made me act like a damn fool whenever I was around her.

I started this evening bound and determined to push her away. After all, I had only agreed to her terms because I wanted her to come back to work for me, didn't I? It wouldn't hurt anything to let her know where the boundaries laid.

There was a problem with that, I realized as I swung my leg over the motorcycle and clipped in my cane. As the evening wore on, and the awkwardness of our situation intensified, I started to feel something…different. Not guilt, exactly, but…something.

But I just *had* to keep the game going, didn't I? Just had to keep pushing, testing her limits. It's what I do, after all. I guess I didn't realize just how deeply her feelings ran. My harsh words cut deeply, and it showed all over her face.

I was so consumed by my thoughts that I didn't even realized I had arrived at my apartment. Guess I do run on autopilot half the time. I let myself in the building, still brooding over Cameron. What possessed me to reach out to her, asking for another chance? I just don't *do* that! What the hell was wrong with me?! Worse than that, Cameron *accepted*…I think. Wait, what did she say again? "*If* you're serious…"

I puffed my cheeks out in frustration. This…_thing_ was driving me nuts. I poured myself a drink and sat down at the piano, playing random chords while I tried to work out this…_thing_ in my head. When the chords became less random and became the chords for George Michael's "One More Try", I *knew* it was bedtime. I had obviously slipped over the line from mere obsession to complete insanity, and damned if I was going to try to figure it all out tonight.

**Yep, it's moving slowly. Keep reading, keep reviewing, I'll keep writing.**


	3. Monday, Monday

**Thanks again for all your encouragement. After tonight's heavy episode of House, I had to bang out another chapter of sweetness and light. **

**Something else...I realize my timeline's a bit screwy, but thanks for bearing with me anyway.**

**Usual Disclaimers: Don't own them (or the tunes), but I sure like playing with them.**

**Cameron**

I arrived early Monday morning, hoping to get a jump start on things before the rest of the team arrived. After putting on a pot of coffee, I started my old ritual of sorting department mail and going through e-mails.

Foreman walked in an hour or so later, followed closely by Chase. Foreman seemed mildly surprised to see me, arching an eyebrow before filling his coffee cup. Chase stopped in his tracks.

"Cameron!" He exclaimed before giving me a quick squeeze around my shoulders. "Good to see you back! Missed your coffee, too." I chuckled softly before returning to my work.

"It's good to be back." _So far, anyway._ I was a little nervous about House's arrival. If word had gotten around about our disastrous evening, I couldn't tell from the behavior of my co-workers. Today had all the appearances of an ordinary Monday. _Good, _I thought with relief, _now if only we can keep it that way._

The door to the diagnostics conference room flew open, shattering the quiet, followed by a familiar step-thump. "Hail, hail, the gang's all here…" House boomed out as he entered. "So good to have the band back together, isn't it?" He limped over to the coffeemaker, filling his red mug and heading toward his office. He stopped in front of the desk and glanced over at me. "Damn good coffee." House commented, taking an appreciative sip. "Chase may be prettier than you, but his coffee's _bloody awful._" Chase turned a bit red as House made fun of his accent, and Foreman snorted softly from behind his own mug.

I looked up at House just in time to notice a slight change in his normally serious expression. A slight smile softened his rough face, and…_did he just WINK at me?! Oh, no, he couldn't have. No way in HELL would he have done that in front of the others. I'm clearly imagining things._ I shook my head slightly to clear my delusional brain and went back to checking department e-mail.

"Foreman, Chase!" House called out from his office. "You two have clinic duty this morning. No case yet, sorry." The guys looked at each other, then at me, then back to each other.

"No, boys, Cameron is not getting any special treatment for hooking up with me. Out you go!" I felt that old familiar heat rising as Chase and Foreman made their way to the clinic. As they walked away, I heard Foreman tell Chase "I told you so. You owe me 50 bucks…"

"Cameron!" House's voice interrupted my train of thought. "Come in here a sec, I need you." I was a bit apprehensive, but went anyway. _No sense putting off the inevitable. _I told myself, steeling myself for…something. Rejection? Maybe. It wouldn't surprise me if he had changed his mind about a do-over date. I paused briefly in front of the door that joined his office and the conference room, collecting myself before pushing it open and stepping forward. _Into the lion's den…_I thought, chuckling silently.

**House**

My thoughts were a jangled mess by the time I entered the lobby of PPTH on Monday morning. If I knew Cameron, she was already parked in front of the laptop, checking e-mails, sorting the department's snail mail, and hopefully putting on a pot or two of her killer coffee. I don't know what her secret was, but apparently she had taken it with her when she left. God knows Blondie Boy tried, but boy, did he ever fall short. It's been…two weeks, two days, 11 hours and change since my last decent cup of coffee. One more reason why I had to convince Cameron to come back to me…work for me, I mean. Yeah.

A familiar shadow caught up to me and fell into step beside me, snapping me back to reality. I sighed and rolled my eyes slightly skyward.

"Morning, Wilson."

"House." He glanced over at me while we waited for the elevator. "Good weekend?"

"Since when do you start making small talk?" I snapped. "Do you really want to hear about 'The Date'? I mean, I'm sure the hospital's been abuzz with nothing else this morning."

The elevator arrived and we both stepped on. "Yes, oddly enough, the clinic nurses were simply all atwitter. They couldn't figure out what a kindhearted soul like you could *possibly* see in that heinous monster Dr. Cameron. Good thing I was there to set them straight."

Inwardly I groaned. _Please tell me Cameron didn't talk to him. I can't handle a lecture from Wilson right now. But why would Cameron talk to him? It's not like they're BFFs or anything. What is WRONG with me?! What do I care what Wilson thinks anyway? Not like he has such a great track record with relationships, anyway. Who is he to advise me OR Cameron anyway. I wish he'd just BUTT OUT._

"Hey, hellooo?" Wilson waved his hand in front of my face in a vain attempt to get my attention. "Anyone home in there?" I shook my head, attempting to settle my thoughts. "What happened? You didn't make her cry again, did you? Because if you did…"

"No, Wilson. No tears this time." I paused, debating whether to share the rest of my conversation with Cameron. "All you need to know is…Cameron's probably in the conference room right now, glasses perched on her nose, looking all…*serious* and stuff, sorting mail, making coffee. Foreman and Chase won't be too far behind, and I'm riding in this elevator with you while you try to get all up in my business." I glanced over to catch Wilson's reaction. He merely shook his head.

"Well, then." He pondered as we stepped off the elevator. "All's right with the world, isn't it?"

"Yep, couldn't be better. Catch up with you for lunch?" Wilson nodded and headed to his own office as I headed into the diagnostics conference room.

As I told Wilson, everyone was in their places, with bright smiling faces. Or something like that. The smell of fresh Cameron-brewed coffee hit my nose as soon as I walked in the door. _Yes, Jimmy my boy, all *is* right in the world. Or it will be. Maybe._

I poured a cup of steaming goodness and took a sip. Cameron was seated at the laptop, glasses perched on the tip of her nose, poring over e-mails. Whoever said "men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses" was either a liar or just trying to keep those sight-challenged hotties to himself. Cameron was definitely looking pass-worthy.

After a moment, Cameron looked up from her work. There it was again, that soft expression gracing her delicate features, punctuated by those adorable glasses. _Did I just call her glasses 'adorable'? All is *not* right in the world. Brain. Turning. Mushy. They are cute on her, though. AARGH! STOP!_

I felt the corners of my mouth turn up slightly, almost against my will. I felt an odd twitching sensation in my eyelid as I took another sip of my coffee. _Oh no. Tell me I didn't just…did I just smile and wink at Cameron?! That's got to be one of the seven signs of the Apocalypse. Maybe she didn't notice…_

I limped into my office and settled in with my coffee, I Pod, and a couple of new medical journals. No new cases had crossed my desk, so I sent Foreman and Chase off to the clinic for the morning.

"No, boys, Cameron is not getting any special treatment for hooking up with me. Out you go!" I hollered through the door between my office and the conference room. As they passed my outer door, I heard Foreman tell Chase, "I told you so. You owe me 50 bucks…"

I chuckled and shook my head. My so-called date with Cameron might not have been the talk of the hospital, but it certainly made the Diagnostics department more interesting for a while. If things continued…_Whoa there, Sparky. Get ahead of yourself much? Don't want to get my hopes up too much._

"Cameron!" I called out to the conference room. "Come here a sec, I need you." _That's NOT what I meant. Don't be dumb. Why did I *say* that?! I could have said that differently…Oh forget it. I need more coffee._

**Don't worry, kids! We'll get them back out there having fun before long! :) Read, enjoy, review.**


	4. Will You Go With Me?

**Can't seem to stop writing tonight. :P**

**Disclaimers: Don't own them, never will. Still having fun with them, though.**

**Cameron**

After collecting my thoughts, I pushed through the door that separated House's office from the diagnostics conference room. I wasn't sure what awaited me on the other side, but it would be easier to just get it over with now.

"You wanted to see me, House?"

He looked up from the journal he was reading, removing his reading glasses. _Those are new…they look kind of cute on him, actually…STOP THAT! This is your boss! Pull it together!_

"Cameron…" He continued to fiddle with his glasses, his eyes glancing from me to the desk and back again. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was nervous. _But this is House we're talking about here. House doesn't get nervous. God, I wish he'd just say what he has to say and let me get back to work!_

"I see you've made yourself right at home again." I nodded as he moved on from fiddling with his glasses to playing with his I Pod. "So…you know…about the other night…" _Oh, here it goes. He's going to crush me…again. And I'm going to let him. And I'll be the fool…again._

"You still interested?"

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"You. Me. The 'date' thingy. Are you still interested?"

"Well…yes, of course. If you are, that is." I was still in a bit of shock. This was hardly what I was expecting to hear, and it took me a minute to find my footing and change gears.

He rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "If I wasn't still interested, I wouldn't be asking. You got big plans for Friday night? I mean, normally that's male bonding night with Wilson, but…I'd like you there, too."

"So, Wilson can, like, chaperone us?" I chuckled lightly at the thought. "I'm sure he'd like that."

"Oh, he'll love it. Maybe we'll find him a hot date, too, and we can make it a foursome." He waggled his eyebrows. "Failing that…a threesome could work, too."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "Are we done here? I *do* have work to do, you know."

"Oh…sure, sure…." House almost seemed a little embarrassed at his little joking statement. "So…come on over to my place, say, 7ish? Depends on the caseload, of course."

I leaned over so that I was looking him in the eye. "It's a date…minus the date part." I winked at him before I turned around and walked away. _Oh no, did I just wink at my boss? How girly was that?! Way to keep things professional, Cameron. Good. Job._ I continued on through the door and returned to my computer work, awaiting the return of Foreman and Chase from the clinic.

**House**

After Cameron returned to the conference room, I finally released the breath I felt like I had been holding for ages. I thought for sure she would either forget about our little conversation or change her mind about the do-over 'date-but-not-a-date'.

_I'm too old for this madness. _I scolded myself. _I'm too old for her, period. Why am I getting so worked up anyway? It's not like she's that into me, right? _I picked up my ball from the desk and started to toss it up in the air, catching it on the way down. I continued with this for a few minutes, pondering the whole situation. _What was all that about threesome….foursome…where the hell did that come from? And when did asking girls out become so damned difficult?! This was a lot easier when I was younger. I was a hell of a lot bolder then, that's for sure. A lot's changed since then, though. More than Cam will ever know._

_Cam? CAM?! What the hell, she's been back for what, five minutes, and here I am calling her by some ridiculous pet name?! Hello, aliens? I'll take my brain back NOW, please!_

I snorted in disgust at my obsessive nutcase brain ramblings and heaved myself out of the chair. I grabbed my cane and started out of my office, stopping at the conference room door to let Cam…eron _(CAMERON, you idiot!) _know that I was heading to lunch. She barely nodded, apparently absorbed in whatever she was doing on the laptop.

I walked down the hall to Wilson's office and banged the door open. He was at his desk, up to his eyeballs in charts and other assorted paperwork, as usual.

"Jimmy!" I bellow, startling him. "Ready for lunch? Your treat, of course."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Of course. Isn't it always my treat?" He donned his lab coat and we headed to the elevators.

"So…" Wilson paused, glancing my way as we waited for the elevator. "I haven't heard any screaming, crying, gnashing of teeth from your direction. I take it Cameron's first day back is going okay?"

"So far, so good." I tapped my cane in a steady rhythm. Wilson and I stood there in a rare silence.

"…"

"What?!"

"You going to fill me in on your night with Cameron, or do I have to ask the clinic nurses?"

I leaned against the railing of the elevator car. _Where do I start? Do I start with my inane line about her earrings, or do I go straight to the part where I completely crushed any and all hopes she had for us?_

I took a deep breath and dove in. "It started okay, went downhill in a hurry thanks to you-know-who, " I pointed at myself, "and then I managed to redeem myself at the end with a Hail Mary save."

Wilson raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Nicely played, sir."

"Thank you."

"So…now what?"

I shrugged as we stepped off the elevators, striding toward the elevators. "She's coming over to my place Friday night. Figured I'd let her join in on our Chinese and movies thing. That alright with you?"

"Ooh…I meant to tell you…Friday's a no go for me. I've got a little something going on myself."

I froze slightly at this, but tried to play it off. "And here I had Cameron all geeked up for a threesome. Too bad, bro. Maybe next time…"

_Dammit. _I didn't want to admit it, but I really wanted Wilson as a buffer between me and Cameron. But…well…it is what it is and all that happy crap. _What, I can't manage an evening with a lovely young woman all by myself? Duh, genius, of course you can't. Look how it turned out last time._

_No. _I told myself with firm conviction. _She gave me a second chance. I cannot…WILL not screw this up._

With my mind set, I fell into step with Wilson and continued on to the cafeteria. After all, just because Wilson was bailing out on our Friday night thing didn't mean he didn't still owe me lunch.

**Oh, you know the drill by now. I write, you read, you review, I keep on writing. :)**


	5. The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

**Thanks for all the reviews and such. Keep them coming!**

**Disclaimers: Nope, still don't own them, just borrowing them for a while. :)**

**Cameron**

The week passed uneventfully. Cuddy drummed up a couple of minor cases to carry us through, but we managed to successfully wrap them up by Friday morning. Chase was working clinic duty, Foreman was catching up on charting, and I was still slogging my way through House's e-mail inbox. _Does this man *ever* bother to check his e-mail?_ I shook my head in both amusement and astonishment. _What did he do before he hired me? Oh…the same as he does now…completely ignore it._

My chuckle caused Foreman to look up from his own work. He tilted his head and continued looking at me.

"Keep it up and your neck will freeze like that." Foreman's expression didn't change. I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

Finally he broke the silence. "I just have to know…why House?"

"Excuse me?!"

"You could have your pick of anyone in this place, and you choose the ultimate ugly duckling. I've just got to know why."

I didn't expect Foreman to understand. Hell, I wasn't sure I understood it myself.

"Maybe I see something you don't." Foreman rolled his eyes. "I mean, aside from the obvious."

"I guess it doesn't matter now, right? You got your date, and he got his glorified secretary back."

I laughed a bit. "Says the guy giving himself a hand cramp doing three weeks worth of charting." He rolled his eyes again and returned to his work.

Just then, House poked his head out of his office.

"Hey, Cameron!"

"House?"

"We're still on for tonight, right? Sevenish?"

I smiled slightly. "Yes, House. Chinese and movies with Wilson. I haven't forgotten."

Foreman's head snapped up so fast I thought it would fly off. His eyes flicked from House to me to House again.

House caught his look and rolled his eyes. "Yes, Dark Half. The Care Bear here and I have big plans tonight. " He dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Chinese and movies is our code phrase for 'threesome'." He gave Foreman a huge fake wink as Foreman rolled his eyes in exasperation. I heard House snickering as he retreated into his office.

No sooner did the door close than Foreman opened his mouth. _Oh great. Here's the part where Foreman tries to go all big brother on me. I can do without one of your pious little lectures, Mister I-Slept-With-A-Drug-Rep._

"What was *that* about?!" Foreman had the nerve to be shocked at mine and House's exchange. "You're not actually going out with him *again*, are you?!"

"This isn't a 'date', Foreman. This is…a…date-without-a-date. It's different."

"How? You plus House plus food plus movies equals DATE. Are you really that naïve?"

"All that plus Wilson equals…NOT A DATE. Get a grip, will you? And mind your own business!" I scowled and returned to my work.

Foreman shook his head in dismay. "This can't possibly end well. One of you has gone crazy. Maybe both of you."

"What the hell do you care?" I snapped at him. "I said to mind your own business!"

Foreman sat back in his chair, looking ponderous for a moment. "He really missed you, you know." _Okay, that got my attention._ I gestured to him to continue.

He shifted in his chair as if debating on how to proceed next. "I don't mean on the work front. That bastard was *miserable* without you around. And you know, when House isn't happy…" He shuddered at the memory. If Foreman was unnerved by House's behavior, it must have been bad.

He leaned forward, dropping his voice to a near whisper. "Look, all I'm saying is…Whatever is going on, that's your business. If it all goes to hell, though, it becomes *everyone's* business, get what I mean?"

I nodded in agreement. I knew it could all end badly. I knew that one wrong step could be the end of this…_thing_ that was beginning to develop between House and I.

I checked my watch and started to shut down the laptop. As I gathered up my things, I reached over to pat Foreman on the shoulder. I knew he was only looking out for the department, but I couldn't help but think that there was a tiny part of him that wanted House to be happy. Or maybe he was just trying to cover his own hide. It didn't matter, though, since I already knew I had no interest in hurting House. If anything, I was more scared of him than he was of me.

With that in mind, I bid Foreman good night and pushed through the conference room door. I wasn't exactly sure what I would be walking into, but whatever it was, it had to be better than sitting home alone on a Friday night, right? _Right?_

**House**

The team was wrapping things up by late Friday afternoon. Cuddy threw a couple of relatively simple cases our way to make sure we 'earned our keep', as she so kindly put it. Most likely she just wanted to keep me out of her hair. Can't say I blamed her. The last couple of weeks had been…irritating, to say the least. I knew I hadn't been acting like myself, but had chalked it up to a combination of boredom, clinic duty, and the frustration of trying to find an adequate replacement for Cameron.

My bad mood over the past couple of weeks had nothing to do with Cameron's absence. Not at all. _Liar, liar, pants on fire. _That damn voice in my head taunted me. _Okay, fine, I missed her…a little. I wasn't lying when I said Chase made horrible coffee. Even Foreman agreed with me on that._ I took a final draw out of my mug, smiling slightly as I savored the taste. Even cold, Cameron's coffee beat Chase's hands down.

My mind wandered as I thought about the evening ahead. It was quarter to six, still plenty of time for Cameron to back out of our 'date-not-a-date'. I still wished Wilson would be around to 'chaperone', but whatever. _I'm a big boy, I can handle this…what IS the big deal?! Wilson's allowed to have a life, too, right?_ I couldn't shake the feeling, though, that Wilson had ditched me on purpose. Not that he didn't have something going on, but still…it was just too damned convenient.

I sighed, frustrated with the jumble of thoughts that insisted on rushing through my brain. Between the Cameron thing and the Wilson mystery, my imagination was working overtime. I rubbed my thigh absentmindedly and hauled myself out of my chair. _I can solve at least one mystery right now. The other will have to wait…_

I stuck my head through the door that joined my office and the conference room.

"Hey, Cameron!"

She looked up from her work. "House?"

"We're still on for tonight, right? Sevenish?"

Her mouth turned up in a soft smile. "Yes, House. Chinese and movies with Wilson. I haven't forgotten."

Foreman's head snapped up at Cameron's affirmative statement. _Shit, I thought he was gone. What the hell is he doing here?! No problem, I'll just throw him off the scent. He'll never believe this anyway._

I rolled my eyes at Foreman. "Yes, Dark Half, the Care Bear and I have big plans tonight. 'Chinese and movies' is our secret code for 'threesome'." I whispered conspiratorially and gave Foreman a big fake wink. As expected, he rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh in response. I snickered to myself as I limped back to my office to pack up my things and leave for the night. _That ought to catch him off guard. GOOD. One Nosy-Rosey in my life is plenty, thankyouverymuch…Oh, oh, oh, is he trying to play big brother to Cam?!_ _Hey, back off! She's a big girl, she can take care of herself. If she wants to hang out with a crabby, scruffy, drug-addicted, OLD guy, what business is it of his?! Okay, okay, calm down. There's no point in getting all whipped up over this. It's just one night, and it's not even a date. What is my PROBLEM?_

I picked up my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. I was probably too late to catch Wilson, but maybe taking the long way home would help me unwind as much as a long-winded, but well-meaning lecture from the *other* Care Bear. Matter of fact, I liked that idea much better than listening to Wilson ramble on about *my* self-esteem issues. As I swung my leg over the bike and clipped my cane in its holder, my mind wandered back to mine and Cameron's 'date-of-doom'. The motorcycle ride had probably been the best part of that night. I could still feel her surprisingly strong arms wrapped around my waist, her petite body pressed against mine. _God, I can still SMELL her. I must be hallucinating. Or losing my mind. Again. Still. Whatever._

Once again I arrived at my apartment without being quite sure how I got there. _This whole thinking and riding thing has GOT to stop._ _One of these days I'm going to lose control of the bike if I keep that up…I wonder if Cam would groove on a nice long bike ride? I could get her a helmet of her own…STOP. Getting ahead of yourself again, House. I'm still not entirely sure she's going to show up tonight, never mind any future plans…_

I let myself in, immediately dumping my backpack and picking up the menu for the Chinese place. After placing the delivery order, I puttered around for a few minutes, doing the Wilson-esque obsessive tidy-up thing before finally settling in at the piano. I played a few random chords to warm up and soothe my jangled nerves._ Damn you, Wilson, _I grumbled internally. _I don't know where you are or what you're doing, but it had damn well better be worth leaving me here ALONE with Miss Thing._ I continued to play, letting the chords take over my thoughts. _What does she see in me, anyway? I'm older than dirt, miserable, cranky, not particularly good looking…oh, and let's not forget my little drug issues, my screwed up leg, my screwed up…everything. What the hell is wrong with her?!_

I slammed the keys in frustration, creating a discordant sound that perfectly mirrored my thoughts. The sound died away as a ran my fingers through my nearly non-existent hair. _Add one more thing to the list of things I hate about me._ All of a sudden, the weight of the years seemed to settle around my shoulders, causing me to lean over the keyboard. I don't remember ever feeling so unsettled over…well, anyone, really. Even Stacy never had this effect on me. Cam…Cameron was very different, and I knew that from the minute I hired her. She just had…IT. That crazy combination of beauty and brains that so few possess. She could have her pick of the litter, but for some reason she wanted ME.

A knock on the door snapped my out of my obsessive train of thought. _That was fast for a Friday night._ I pushed myself off the piano bench, reaching for my wallet as I hobbled to the door.

"Be right there!" I hollered. "Give the cripple a few extra minutes!"

I whipped open the front door, ready to pay for the delivery order, only to find…not the delivery guy. That was definitely NOT the delivery guy at my door. Unless the delivery guy had morphed into a delicate young brunette with smoking hot curves…

**Gosh, who *is* that 'mystery girl'? LOL.**

**Read, review, love (or not--just no flames, please.). I'll just be over here slaving away on the next chapter. :D**


	6. Dinner for Two

**The muse is alive! Gotta take advantage of it while I can.**

**Standard disclaimers apply, yadda, yadda.**

**House**

Let's just say it was a good thing I wasn't drinking anything when I opened the door. I would have choked. It's one of the few times in my life I've been rendered speechless. Cameron was dressed casually in skinny black jeans, a clingy grey sweater that hung past her hips, and funky black Chuck Taylor high tops. She looked hotter than she had during our ill fated dinner date.

"Is it okay if I come in? After all, you *did* invite me." Cameron looked vaguely amused as I stood there taking her in.

"Uh…yeah, yeah, come in." _God, DUH, you dumbass! Don't just leave her hanging out there! And stop drooling over her. This is NOT a date, got it? Quit. Ogling. _"Sorry, I thought you were the delivery guy."

"Nope, not the delivery guy."

"Nope, guess not."

It was so quiet you could have heard crickets chirping. Or my heart pounding. _Come on, House, pull it together. Offer the hottie…er…Cameron a drink. Say. Something. Anything! I wish those aliens would hurry up and send my brain back already…_

"You want a beer?" I called out from the kitchen.

"Sure, sounds good."

I grabbed two beers out of the fridge, popped the tops, and hobbled back to the living room. Cameron was wandering around awkwardly. I gestured toward the couch with my free hand. "Cop a squat, kiddo." She looked at me funny but made herself comfortable on the couch, undoing her high tops in the process.

_Kiddo? LAME. What the hell's gotten into me? Now I've gone from just making a fool out of myself to making a fool out of both of us. I'd be surprised if she stays long enough to eat._ My thoughts were interrupted by another knock at the door.

I made my way to the door. Thank whoever that it was food this time. Maybe if I kept feeding my face, I could stop sticking my foot in my mouth. I paid the guy and returned to the living room.

"Food's here." I said, apparently starting a game of State The Obvious. Fortunately, Cameron didn't seem too keen on playing along. "I didn't know what you'd want, so I kinda ordered a variety pack. 'Dinner for Two', I think they called it."

"No worries, I'm hardly a fussy eater. It all smells good." Cameron looked around. "Plates, silverware, napkins..?"

_Duh. Again. This is why I don't bother dating. It obviously causes brain damage. Except that this is NOT A DATE. Breathe. Relax. Get the stuff out of the kitchen so the woman can eat already!_

"Got it. Hang tight, I'll be right back." I started going through cabinets and drawers collecting the necessary serving items. "Do you want chopsticks?"

"Chopsticks would be great, thanks." That voice did not come from the living room. I turned to the kitchen entryway to see Cameron there, leaning against the frame. She had an amused look on her face. "I'll take those into the living room."

I nodded, too startled and dumbfounded to speak. All I could do was stand there as she walked back into the living room, her hips gently swaying as she moved. This was going to be a long night.

**Cameron**

I stood in front of House's door, taking a moment to collect myself before knocking. There was a loud crash that sounded vaguely like a cat stomped on all the piano keys at once, followed by a soft curse. _Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all. He's obviously in one hell of a mood._

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Be right there! Give the cripple a few extra minutes!" The door flew open to reveal House, a vision in rumpled hair, slightly wrinkled black concert t-shirt, dark wash jeans, and bare feet. He stood there for a minute, appraising me with those impossibly bright blue eyes. I felt my knees buckle slightly under his intense gaze, but held my ground.

"Is it okay if I come in? After all, you *did* invite me." I couldn't help smiling a little as he seemed to come back to reality.

" Uh…yeah, yeah, come in. Sorry, I thought you were the delivery guy."

"Nope, not the delivery guy."

"Nope, guess not."

_Wow, this night's off to a great start. Good thing this isn't a DATE or anything. The poor guy's so rattled he barely knows whether he's coming or going._

House offered me a beer, then wandered off to the kitchen. Something was off about his gait, until I realized he was walking around without his cane. I ambled around his living room, perusing his books and DVDs, when he returned.

"Cop a squat, kiddo." He gestured to the couch. _Kiddo? Now *that's* odd. He's called me lots of things, but never that. I never thought of our age difference as a big deal. Hell, that's the last thing I notice about him._ I sat down and undid my shoes. There was a knock on the door, and House broke cripple speed records to get to the door. I couldn't help but notice how he looked in those jeans. Usually he's all covered up in a untucked dress shirt or sport jacket. _Damn, he *does* have a cute butt! STOP THAT! This is NOT A DATE. Quit checking him out!_

"Food's here." House's voice brought me back to Earth. "I didn't know what you'd want, so I ordered up a variety pack. 'Dinner for Two', I think they called it."

"No worries, I'm not fussy." House's large hands were shaking slightly as he unpacked the containers. I glanced around, noticing something was missing. "Plates, silverware, napkins..?"

House looked at me, puzzled at first, then the light returned to his eyes. _Those beautiful eyes! I knew he had gorgeous eyes, but I guess I never saw them up close before…STOP! Keep it up and he'll throw you out before dinner's over. _"Got it! I'll be right back."

I heard clanging, slamming, and some muttering in the kitchen. Thinking he might need some assistance, I moved toward the kitchen, leaning against the frame of the entryway. He looked so cute digging through drawers and cabinets, collecting the necessary items, muttering to himself the whole time.

"Do you want chopsticks?"

"Chopsticks would be great, thanks." He turned and looked at me with that same expression he wore when he initially opened the door that evening. "I'll take those to the living room." I turned around and walked back to the living room, feeling his eyes on me. I *might* have put a little more…sashay in my step than I normally would have. Even if this wasn't a 'date', a little flirting never hurt anything, did it?

**Thanks for your continued reviews. And thanks to all of you who have added this story to your favorites! Pay me in reviews, because I'm sure not getting paid in cash. :)**


	7. Communication Breakdown

**Still going...Usual disclaimers apply. I don't own any of this stuff, including the movies referenced. They're all good ones, though.**

**Cameron**

House and I returned to the living room and started piling food onto plates. After loading up on orange chicken, pepper steak, fried rice, and crab rangoons, House leaned into the couch, swinging his feet onto the coffee table. He waved a hand at his DVD collection. "Go forth and choose, young one." _Still hung up on that age thing. Oh well. He'll get over it sooner or later. Sooner than later, I hope._

"Are you sure you trust my choice?"

House gave me the classic eyeroll. "You're the guest, you choose. I'll live with it."

I walked over to the shelves and started perusing House's extensive collection.

"Phantom of the Paradise?"

"Cheesy story, GREAT soundtrack. 'I was not myself last night, couldn't set things right with apologies or flowers…'" House started singing in a slightly growly baritone I hadn't heard before, but drifted off at the end of the lyric. "Next?"

I put my hands on my hips. "I thought you said you'd live with my choice."

House shrugged. "First off, I did. Second…I thought you were looking for an opinion, not making a choice. Next?"

I shook my head and continued browsing. "Rocky Horror Picture Show?"

"Once again, we have the same problem." House scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Although I'm pretty sure Wilson left that one behind. I think he was looking for wardrobe ideas…pretty strong resemblance between him and Tim Curry, don't you think?"

_This is getting sillier by the minute. Just pick something! Wilson…hey, where is he, anyway? Didn't House say that this was their 'male bonding' night?_

"Speaking of Wilson…" I started as I chose The Blues Brothers from the shelf. "Is he running late tonight? I thought you said he would be here, too."

"Yeah, about that…" House scowled. "He told me he had something 'going on' tonight. I think he set me up."

I stopped as I put the DVD in the player. "Wait…you *knew* he wouldn't be here, and you didn't cancel with me? What's that about?" _You're not the only one who got set up here, buddy._ "I thought you wanted him along to 'chaperone'…"

The room went dead silent. House froze briefly, then set his plate down on the coffee table.

"Look, Cameron…" His eyes lost focus, darting furtively around the room, looking anywhere but straight at me. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I don't want you to be here under false pretenses, and this does kind of qualify…" House looked downward, playing with the chopsticks in his hands.

I left the DVD player and circled the coffee table to sit next to House on the couch. My heart beat faster when I saw his downcast face.

"House, look at me." His eyes moved toward me, but his head stayed down. "No, *really* look at me." My hand moved to his chin to turn his face toward me.

"I'm not going anywhere." I told him firmly. "I came over to share good food and a couple of good movies with a man I like and respect. Wilson doesn't know what he's missing." I bent his head and placed a gentle kiss on his rough cheek.

House's eyes sparkled and a hint of a smile crossed his rough features. "Who are you, and what have you done with my littlest duckling?"

I laughed in response. _He's so handsome when he smiles. I wish he'd smile more often. _"You're little duckling's all grown up now, House. Now, how about that movie?"

He nodded firmly at me. "Hit it." _Thank God. This evening's definitely looking up. You're sure missing out, Wilson, and that's fine by me._

**House**

We loaded up our plates and I settled in on the couch, swinging my legs up onto the coffee table. I gestured at Cameron to choose a movie from my extensive collection. I had noticed her checking them out earlier and figured she already had some idea of what she wanted to watch.

"Are you sure you trust my choice?" Cameron looked at me questioningly.

"You're the guest, you choose. I'll live with it."

Her first choice was Phantom of the Paradise. "Cheesy story, GREAT soundtrack." No joke. I fell in love with the music the minute I heard the soundtrack. "'I was not myself last night, couldn't set things right with apologies or flowers…" _Ookay…probably not the best song choice under the circumstances. Way to go, House. Let's see what else we can screw up tonight, shall we? _"Next?"

Cameron placed her hands on her hips and glared at me. "I thought you said you'd live with my choice."

_Whaat? Is this one of those insane 'girl tests'? I thought she just wanted my opinion! Whoops. _"First of all, I did. Second…I thought you were looking for an opinion, not making a choice. Next?"

She shook her head and continued looking. "Rocky Horror Picture Show?"

_Where the hell did that come from? I don't remember buying that. Must be one of Wilson's. _"Once again, we have the same problem. Although…I'm pretty sure that's one of Wilson's. I think he was looking for wardrobe ideas. Pretty strong resemblance between him and Tim Curry, don't you think?"

_DAMMIT. Wilson. I forgot to tell Cameron about Wilson. She's going to kick my ass when I tell her he's a no-show. Well, I can kiss this evening goodbye. It was nice while it lasted._

"Speaking of Wilson…" _Oh shit, here we go… _"Is he running behind tonight? I thought he was going to join us, too."

"Yeah, about that…" _No sense putting this off. Might as well be honest with her. At least I'll have given her that much. _"He told me he had something 'going on' tonight. I think he set me up."

Cameron froze in front of the DVD player, The Blues Brothers in her hand. "Wait…you *knew* he wouldn't be here, and you didn't cancel with me? What's that about?! I thought you wanted him along to 'chaperone'…"

_Check please._

I felt a pang of…something. She looked a little hurt, betrayed, almost like she did at the restaurant that night. _Shit. Shitshitshitshit. Now what? I should cut her loose. She wouldn't want to stay anyway. Probably thinks I planned it this way. I must be the biggest fool on Earth right now._

I felt the couch cushions moved as Cameron sat down next to me. Her familiar smell wafted into my nostrils as I played with the chopsticks in my hands. _House, you ASS. Dammit, I wish Wilson were here. He'd better be having a damn good time, wherever he is. He's dead when I see him next. DEAD._

"House, look at me." Cameron's gentle voice cut through my internal rant. I shifted my eyes her way, but didn't lift my head. "No, *really* look at me." She placed her soft hands on my cheeks and turned my face toward hers. My breath caught in my throat when I looked her in the eyes. Grayish-green, accented with just a hint of make-up. _Take it in now, fool. This could be the last time you get this close to her._

"I'm not going anywhere." She told me firmly. _Wait, what? _"I came over to share good food and a couple of good movies with a man I like and respect." _Clearly the poor girl was confused. I am *so* not that guy._ "Wilson doesn't know what he's missing." _Damn straight. _

"Who are you and what have you done with my littlest duckling?"

She laughed in response. _I don't think I've ever heard her laugh like that. It's light and bubbly, just like her. Gack, did I just say 'bubbly'? Brain. Damage._ "Your little duckling's all grown up now, House. Now, how about that movie?"

I nodded firmly. "Hit it." _This 'date-not-a-date' thing might work out okay after all, as long as I can keep my foot out of my mouth. Jimmy, my boy, you have no idea what you're missing right now, and I'm kind of okay with that. Wait a minute...did she plant a little smooch on me? Nah, I must be imagining things again. Just watch the damn movie, House._

**Aah...finally got things moving in the right direction. :) The more you read and review, the more I write.**


	8. With A Little Luck

**Disclaimers and stuff: Still not mine, but I'm still having fun.**

**House**

After our brief misunderstanding, Cameron and I settled in to watch The Blues Brothers. Before long both of us were singing along and quoting entire paragraphs of the script. Cameron actually has a pretty decent voice, and while her rendition of "Think" didn't really hold up to the original, it was pretty damn good. _I'd never in a million years tell her she wasn't as good as Aretha. Christ, even I'm not that dumb._

The movie ended, and our bellies were stuffed. The stress of the week seemed to flow out of me throughout the evening, and I was feeling remarkably mellow. I knew I had to get up and move soon, before my beast of a leg reared its ugly head.

I heaved myself off the couch, staggering toward the kitchen. As if picking up some internal cue, Cameron immediately started closing containers and taking dishes to the kitchen. _Damn, this *is* just like an evening with Wilson. Cam's *way* prettier, though. Not that I'd ever tell Wilson that. Wouldn't want to break the Boy Wonder's heart, heh._

"You want another beer, Cam?" _Er. Whoops. Must be getting tired. Yeah, too tired to finish saying someone's name. That's pretty bad, House. Or are you Hou now?_

"Sure, House. The night is young, after all." _And so are you. What's your point? STOP it, you paranoid old goat. Just get the girl…WOMAN…her beer!_

I cracked open the beer and handed it to her, still leaning against the counter. No need to let her know my leg was bothering me. She's just get her caring germs all over it, and who knows what would happen next. I opened my own beer, contemplating my next move.

"You know, I was thinking…" I took a long pull off my beer before I continued. "It seems kind of silly to be on a last name basis outside of work, don't you think?"

She seemed to consider this. "I suppose…"

I played with one of the bottle caps, looking downward as I chose my next words carefully. "I'd kind of prefer it if you called me Greg outside of work. You know, to separate the professional and personal worlds."

She nodded, mulling it over. "Sure…I can call you Greg…and you call me…Al…'call me Al'."

I dropped my chin to my chest, chuckling at her bad pun. _Like there's any other kind. She got me good with that one._

"Okay, fine…AL. But seriously, you must have a preference, right? What do your non-co-workers call you?"

She took a sip of her beer before answering. "I actually kind of like Cam. My family calls me Allie, everyone else calls me Cameron…you can call me Cam." She smiled, again, as if she were warming up to the idea.

"Cam it is, then."

"Boy, glad we got that settled. That would have stressed me out for weeks!"

"Yeah, thank God *that's* not hanging over our heads. World wars have been started over less, you know."

I popped the top to my Vicodin bottle and took a couple, washing them down with the beer. "Go on and pick another movie, and don't bother asking my opinion on it. Surprise me."

"Done and done, Greg." Cam wandered back over to the DVDs, this time selecting Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.

"Are you serious?!" I groaned melodramatically. I like it, but Keanu Reeves has never been one of my favorite actors. I'm pretty sure this one was one of my bargain bin purchases.

"You said don't bother asking your opinion, remember?" Cam wagged her finger in front of me. "This is one of my childhood favorites, and besides, Keanu Reeves is, like, a total HOTTIE in this!" she continued, gracing the last bit with a fake Valley Girl accent.

"Fine, this old geezer will indulge you this time. Don't make it a habit." I growled, settling back down onto the couch. Cam bent down to change movies in the DVD player, giving me ample opportunity to check out her nicely rounded butt. _She does have a nice little shape to her. Never get to see it under that lab coat…DAMMIT! This is just getting ridiculous now. I'm practically old enough to be her father, and here I am leering at her like some dirty old man. Must. Stop. NOW. _

Cam returned and took up her side of the couch again, tucking her feet underneath her. _Damned lucky feet…oh that's just creepy. Stop it, just stop it. Watch the stupid movie, House._

"You're not an old geezer."

I was startled for a moment. "Say what?"

"I said…you're not an old geezer."

"Not your call, Cam. If I say I'm old, then dammit, I'm old. End of discussion."

"I'm just saying…your age has never been an issue for me."

I rolled my eyes. "Good to know, Cam."

"It shouldn't be an issue for you, either. Just saying." With that, she turned her face back to the TV and started the movie. _If only you knew, Cam. The age thing is just the tip of the issue iceberg._ I glanced over at her as she stared at the screen.

I scooted a bit closer, invading her space a little. _This is a test. Repeat, this is only a test._ Cam leaned in a bit, as if she was going to put her head on my shoulder. _If this is a test…I think I'm failing. Danger, Will Robinson, danger! _Her head landed on my shoulder as I snaked my left arm around her. _Okay, the aliens not only took my brain, they're controlling my motor impulses as well. This can't be good._

A soft snoring sound interrupted my thoughts. Cam had fallen asleep on my shoulder. I smiled to myself, watching her sleep. I scooted back down the couch and eased Cam's head onto my left leg, lightly stroking her soft hair as she slept. All of a sudden, I kind of regretted that this was the date-that-wasn't. But hey, if this is how one of these not-a-dates ends, maybe it's not so bad.

**Cameron**

House seemed to settle down a bit after our misunderstanding over Wilson. _I'm still not sure I'm buying the whole story, but whatever. He's finally relaxing a bit. Maybe he really was telling the truth. I guess it doesn't really matter. I'm having…fun? Yeah, fun. Like monster-truck-night fun._

We kicked back and watched The Blues Brothers, both of us singing along and quoting whole pages of dialogue. I belted out "Think", and House glanced over at me skeptically. I knew my version didn't match the legend, but he had the grace to not mention it. _So he actually DOES have a brain-to-mouth filter. Who knew?_ His version of "Minnie the Moocher", on the other hand…there was something about that growly baritone that was…sexy? _Did I just say that? Oh God. My boss has a sexy singing voice. There, I said it. Okay, I didn't say it, but…nah, I'll just keep that to myself. I've embarrassed him enough for one night. No need to scare him off completely._

The movie ended and House absentmindedly rubbed his right thigh. I knew he'd have to get up soon before the thing cramped up on him. He heaved himself off the couch, staggering slightly toward the kitchen. I busied myself tidying up the living room, giving House his personal space. _Back off, Allie. Clearly he doesn't need your help. He knows what he's doing. Leave him be._

I took the leftovers and dishes into the kitchen as House stumbled toward the fridge. "You want another beer, Cam?"

_Cam? Interesting choice. Nobody's ever called me that. It's kind of sweet, actually. _"Sure, House. The night is young, after all." _Aargh, not the best choice of words. I hope he doesn't take it the wrong way._

House popped the tops off both beers, handing me one while he leaned against the counter. His leg was obviously bothering him, but he was trying to play it off, for whatever reason._ He's such a…guy. It's not like I don't know about the leg thing. I could care less, really. Okay, that's not strictly true, but…I'm not going to go all Care Bear on him over it._

"You know, I've been thinking…" _Oh, *that's* a dangerous phrase. Right up there with 'We need to talk'._ House was suddenly absorbed in fiddling with a bottle cap. "It seems kind of silly to be on a last name basis with each other outside of work, don't you think?" _What? Hello, that came out of nowhere._

I took a long drink of my beer to cover up my surprise. "I suppose…"

House kept playing with that damn bottle cap. "I'd kind of prefer it if you called me Greg outside of work." He spoke so quietly that I almost didn't catch what he said. "You know, to keep the personal and professional worlds separate."

_What is this?! Is he…reaching out? Trying to connect? Okay, this is getting weird in a hurry._ "Sure…I can call you Greg…" I smiled at him. "…and you can call me Al…'call me Al…'"

My attempt at a joke had its desired effect. House dropped his chin to his chest, chuckling to himself and relaxing slightly. "Okay, fine… AL. But seriously, you must have a preference. What do your non-co-workers call you?

I had to think about that for a minute. "I actually kind of like Cam. My family calls me Allie, everyone else calls me Cameron…you can call me Cam." I felt the corners of my mouth turn further upwards. _Cam…I like it. It's…special. A little romantic, if you will. Romantic? What?! Wait…romantic and House don't even belong in the same universe, much less the same thought. Besides, if that's romantic, this makes this a date, and it's NOT A DATE. Get over yourself. It's not that serious. It's just a nickname. Geesh._

"Cam it is, then."

"Boy, glad that's settled." I laughed a little nervously. "That would have stressed me out for *weeks*!"

"Yeah…world wars have been started over less, you know." House…_Greg _returned the nervous laugh, popping the top off his Vicodin and washing down a couple with his beer. He waved me toward the living room. "Go on, pick another movie. Don't bother asking my opinion this time. Surprise me."

"Done and done, Greg." I was rewarded with another small smile that made my stomach flip a little. I wandered back to the DVD collection until I ran across Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. This didn't exactly scream "GREG" to me, and I wondered if this was another Wilson contribution. It was one of my favorites though, partly due to Keanu Reeves. He was one of my first celeb crushes as a young teenager, and it was a pretty funny movie to boot.

"Are you serious?!" Greg groaned melodramatically.

"You said don't bother asking your opinion, remember?" I wagged my finger as if I were scolding him. "It's one of my childhood favorites." _Oh, there goes the age thing again. How many times can I stick my foot in my mouth in one night? I think I'm going for a record here. _"Besides, Keanu Reeves is like, a total HOTTIE in this one." I put on a mock Valley Girl accent, hoping to defuse things with humor again.

Greg glared at me and growled. "Fine, this _old geezer_ will indulge you this time. Don't make it a habit." I put in the movie and returned to the couch, tucking my feet under me. Greg stared dead ahead, obviously brooding._ Oh geez. Is he still obsessing over the age thing? He's NOT old. I've never thought of him as OLD. What is it going to take to get through to him?!_

"You're not an old geezer."

He snapped to attention and turned to me. "Say what?"

"I said…you're not an old geezer."

He frowned in response. "If I say I'm old, then I'm old, dammit. End of discussion, Cam."

I sighed softly in frustration. "I'm just saying…your age has never been an issue for me."

Greg rolled his eyes. "Good to know, Cam."

"It shouldn't be an issue for you either. Just saying." I knew I was pushing the issue, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get through to him on this one damn thing. _Stubborn ass._ I thought disgustedly as I turned back to the movie.

The couch squeaked slightly as I felt movement to my right. _Was he moving…closer? He *is*! _I moved a little closer to him, slightly invading his space. _It's like moving toward a wild animal. No sudden moves, or he'll bolt._ I slowly placed my head on his shoulder as he slipped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me in closer. I could feel his pulse speed up, matching my own.

_My God. _Something suddenly dawned on me. _He's just as nervous about this…not-a-date as I am!_ I felt my eyelids drift shut as my breathing and pulse slowed down. He shifted again, guiding my head into his lap. _I don't know what's going on here, but I'll go with it. Whatever makes him feel more comfortable._ As I drifted off to sleep, a large, slightly calloused hand started to stroke my hair. _This can't be right. I'm clearly imagining things again. If anyone knew what a soft touch House…Greg really was…nah, they'd never believe me. I could get used to this. Too bad this isn't a date…but this works, too. Maybe we could do this 'not-a-date' thing more often… _

**Where does our non-dating pair go from here? We shall see...**

**Keep reading and reviewing. I eat reviews for breakfast, yum, yum. :)**


	9. Apologies and Love Songs, Part 1

**Disclaimers: I don't own House, Cameron, or any of the music. Credit given where due at the end.**

**A/N: Normally I have both House's and Cameron's POV in each chapter. This one got a little long, so Cameron's view of things will be next chapter.**

**House**

I woke with a start, feeling completely disoriented. The DVD screensaver was flashing on the TV screen, and there was an unfamiliar weight in my lap. _Cameron? Oh, right…Cam. Chinese food, movies…more than a few awkward moments. Good times. _

Actually, aside from my ridiculous case of jangled nerves, the evening turned out remarkably well. It was cool to spend time with Cam outside of the hospital, without the added pressure of a 'date'. I looked down in my lap, where Cam still lay snoozing. I hated to disturb her, but if I didn't move soon, things would get ugly.

I managed to scoot over slightly so that Cam's head lay on the couch. Looking around, I found the spare blanket and pillow I kept around for those nights when Wilson needed a place to crash. Somehow I tucked the pillow under Cam's head without waking her and gently covered her with the blanket. It was late, she was already sleeping, might as well let her stay. _That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Never mind that she looks so calm and peaceful when she sleeps. Well, except for that little bit of drool on her chin, but whatever. Even Cam's not perfect, I guess. It just adds to her 'hot' factor._

I felt kind of silly standing there watching her do nothing but snore and drool all over my spare pillow. _Time for me to move around a little bit. She'll be fine until morning._ It was well past midnight, but my brain was still working over the events of the evening. Did she really plant that little smooch on me, or did I imagine it. Did it really matter? Yes, of course it mattered. I reached up and rubbed my stubbled cheek, still feeling a warm spot where her lips had left their mark. _Left their mark? What am I, a twelve-year-old girl? Next thing you know I'll be squealing and doing mani/pedi nights with Wilson._

I made my way to the piano, a familiar source of comfort over the years. Here was where I had worked out all sorts of problems, or at least managed to put them aside for a while. I didn't plan on coming to any brilliant conclusions about much of anything tonight. Nope, all I really wanted was to calm myself enough to get a little sleep before Cam woke up.

I started with the usual random chords, moving into some basic scales and warm ups from long-forgotten piano lessons. From there I moved into some Phantom of the Paradise. "Roll on thunder, shine on lightning…the days are long and the nights are frightening…nothing matters anyway and that's the hell of it…" _Hmm, well, that's depressing. Not really what I'm after._ I tried something else, and an old song that my mother used to sing came flowing out of my hands.

"When chimney smoke hangs still and low…across the stubbled fields of snow…and angry skies reach down and seize the sorry blackened bones of trees…In the dead of winter, when the silent snowbirds come…you're my sweet maple sugar, honey…hot buttered rum."

"That was beautiful." A sleepy voice broke through my reverie. _Damn. Busted._

"Did I wake you?" _Duh, Captain Obvious._

"It's fine…not a bad way to wake up. I can think of worse ways." She got up from the couch and made her way to the piano, the blanket wrapped around her. I gestured to her to have a seat next to me. "So…what were you playing just then?"

"Old song my mom used to sing. She used to listen to all kinds of music, and I guess this one just kind of stuck with me." I continued to play the chords as she laid her head on my shoulder. Her scent assaulted my nostrils once again, sending a slight shiver through me. _Easy, Action. Don't ruin the moment, okay?_

"When gloves and mittens and woolen parkas…bring cold comfort to the heart…and bitter memories freeze the tongue…and words of love are left unsung…In the dead of winter…when the cold feelings come…you're my sweet maple sugar, honey…hot buttered rum."

The song ended and the chords faded away. I glanced over at Cam, who was still laying on my shoulder. _Well, what are you waiting for, a standing ovation? Jesus, House, it's LATE and she's tired. Be grateful she's still putting up with you at all, fool._

Finally Cam broke the silence. "That song is very…you." _Well that's an odd sort of compliment, I guess._ "I mean, it's a bit sad, a bit gloomy, but it's romantic, too. It's like…even though it's cold, nasty, and horrible outside, you've still got this one person who makes it…tolerable."

_How the hell does she DO that?! _"Yeah, I guess you're right. I never thought about it like that before." _Liar. You knew what you were playing. Okay, maybe not at first, but you chose to keep going with it. You DOG._

Cam snuggled even closer to me, and I found myself lifting my hands from the keyboard to wrap an arm around her blanket-covered shoulders. I kind of got…stuck at that point. My heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest. _What is your problem, House? KISS the girl. No, wait, nonono. That's NOT what this night was supposed to be about. Remember? A 'date-without-a-date'. When did I agree to *that* bullshit?! What was I thinking?! Stupid aliens! GIVE ME BACK MY BRAIN!!!!_

Just as my brain and my heart were about to simultaneously blow up, I felt a pair of soft lips touch mine. _Oh hell. I'm dead. This was not in the contract. Oh, damn, she's a good kisser…Full speed ahead, boys!_

I gave myself up completely to the moment, reveling in the feel of her lips on mine. Her tongue darted out, seeking entrance. I challenged her with my own as we proceeded to full on lip lock. I ran my hands through her soft brunette hair as she wrapped her arms around my waist.

After what seemed like an eternity, we finally broke apart, foreheads touching, panting slightly.

"Damn." It was the only word I could manage to get out.

"Yeah." She gasped out in return.

"…Now what?"

She started to gather up the blanket and get up from the piano bench. "I think I should go."

My heart sank a little. _Too much too fast, House. When are you going to learn to slow things down a little?_ I heaved myself up from the bench and followed Cam. She was on the couch lacing up her shoes. _Think, think, think. I should say something. But what? 'That was hot, Cam, sorry for violating the not-a-date thing'? Aargh. This is tougher than it should be. Oh for Christ's sake. Suck it up, be a man, all that crap._

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Cam."

She looked up from lacing her shoes, a baffled expression on her face. "Sorry for what?" She rose from the couch and moved toward me.

"This wasn't a date. I just…I shouldn't have done…" I waved my hand around uselessly. "…that."

Cam walked over until she was standing right in front of me. She tilted up her chin so she could look me in the eye. "Let me tell you something, _Greg_." She poked me in the chest for emphasis. "I did not do a single thing I didn't want to do. And yes, that includes kissing you _silly_, you old geezer." She kind of had a point there, although I'm not sure 'silly' would have been my choice of words.

She got as close as she could and took my hands. "Don't you *ever* apologize for something like that ever again. Especially when you clearly have a…gift for it." Cam reached up on tiptoe and gave me a gentle peck on the lips. "Good night, Greg."

I wrapped her in a full hug and softly kissed her back. "Good night, Cam."

She was nearly out the door before something occurred to me. _See, all this 'girl' stuff make a guy stupid. _"Cam, wait!" Cam turned to face me. "I…uh…I wanted to ask you something."

Cam looked at me, waiting for me to continue. _Go on…finish what you started, House._ "Would you like to go…out?" _Gah, this is like being seventeen all over again. I thought I was done with this shit._ I cleared my throat nervously and continued. "It should be a pretty decent day tomorrow. Thought maybe you'd like to go for a ride, maybe get something to eat on the way. Totally casual, of course."

"Of course." Cam graced me with that sweet smile again. "Call me around noon? I should be up and around by then."

"Noon sounds…perfect." I bent down for one last little smooch. _Smooch? Scratch that, I'm not seventeen. I *am* twelve._ "Good night, Cam. Drive safely and all that…you know."

I closed the door behind her and leaned against it heavily. This 'date-not-a-date' stuff was exhausting. What would it be like if we actually started…dating? I shook off the heavy thoughts and headed off to bed. Whatever issues this night brought up could wait.

**Music Credits:**

**"The Hell of It", Paul Williams, _Phantom of the Paradise soundtrack  
_"Hot Buttered Rum", Red Clay Ramblers, _Chuckin' the Frizz_**

**Keep those reviews coming! Thank you for encouraging my madness. :)**


	10. Apologies and Love Songs, Part 2

**As promised, the 'not-a-date' from Cameron's POV.**

**Disclaimers: Nope, don't own them. Just playing with them for a while. The music's not mine either. "Hot Buttered Rum" belongs to the Red Clay Ramblers, and "The Stranger" belongs to Billy Joel.**

**Cameron**

I awakened to the sound of a piano playing in the distance. It didn't sound like a recording, but instead something gentle and soothing, followed by a distinctive growling baritone. _House…Greg._ I was starting to get reoriented to my surroundings. _Oh, right…Chinese food, movies, some awkwardness…but that doesn't explain why I'm under a blanket that smells distinctly like Wilson…Of course, Wilson's been know to crash out here from time to time, and it's fair to assume that laundry is not high on Greg's priority list. _I smiled to myself, trying to imagine Greg and Wilson working out any kind of living arrangement. _Modern day 'Odd Couple'…no wonder Wilson stays at a hotel between wives._

…"In the dead of winter…if springtime never comes, you're my sweet maple sugar, honey…hot buttered rum." The song was oddly sentimental, not something I would have imagined him playing. It was dark and gloomy, but a bit hopeful. Maybe it wasn't such an odd choice after all. It seemed very…Greg.

"That was beautiful." I mumbled from the couch, not quite awake yet.

"Did I wake you up?"

"It's fine. I can think of worse ways to wake up." _And a few better ways, too…whoa, where did that come from? Slow down, Cam. He *almost* trusts me now…don't wreck it. _I wrapped the blanket around myself against the chill of the apartment and made my way to the piano bench. Greg gestured me to sit down.

I settled in next to Greg as he continued playing. "So…what song were you playing just then?"

"Old song my mom used to sing. She listened to all kinds of music, and I guess that one just stuck with me." I rested my head on his shoulder in an uncharacteristically bold move as he played the chords. "When gloves and boots and woolen parkas bring cold comfort to the heart…and bitter memories freeze the tongue…and words of love are left unsung…In the dead of winter, when the cold feelings come…you're my sweet maple sugar, honey…hot buttered rum."

The song ended and the notes died away. We sat in silence for a few moments. "That was very…you. It's a bit sad, a bit gloomy, but it's a bit romantic, too. It's like…even though it's cold, nasty, and horrible outside, you've got this one person that makes it all…tolerable." _Wow, did he choose that for me? No, he couldn't have. That would be *completely* out of character for him. He would never be that obvious. Lovely song, though. I wonder if it's recorded anywhere? I wouldn't mind having that on my I Pod._

Greg scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I never thought about it like that before." _Oh bullshit. Why can't you just come out and say what's on your mind?! _I snuggled closer to him, trying to give him a small push in the right direction. He did manage to take his hands off the keyboard and wrap an arm around my shoulders. He sat there for a moment, lightly caressing my arm, but making no other move. If anything, he seemed to freeze up just then.

_Well, if he's not going to make a move…_I turned to him and pressed my lips to his. They were surprisingly soft against my own, and I leaned further into the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his waist while pressing my tongue against his lips, pressing for entry. He let me in, then proceeded to push forward with his own. I felt his rough hands rake through my hair as we continued to press into each other. _Holy HELL he's a good kisser. How the hell has he managed to stay single?! Oh, yeah, there is that abrasive personality thing…oh my GOD he's good…I've got to slow this down before things get too out of hand…I wasn't prepared for all that…whew._

We broke apart after what seemed like ages, resting against each other's foreheads, panting slightly.

"Damn." Greg's voice was ragged.

"Yeah." Mine sounded equally rough. Small wonder, given the intensity of our encounter.

"…Now what?"

_Oh...damn…I hadn't thought that far ahead. I should go now, before things get more out of hand. I don't want to do something we'll both regret. Some 'date-not-a-date'. Maybe I shouldn't have done that…but it's not like I regret it. Damn, I could kind of get used to that. If he's that good now…STOP. Don't go there. You're getting *way* ahead of yourself. You're not even dating him, for Christ sake. Calm down._

"I think I should go." I rose from the piano bench and made my way to the couch to put on my shoes. Greg heaved himself to his feet and paced around the living room as I laced up my shoes.

Finally, after a long silence, Greg spoke. "I'm sorry, Cam."

_Wait a minute. I all but shoved my tongue down his throat and *he's* the one apologizing? What's wrong with this picture? _"Sorry for what?"

Greg rocked back and forth, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "This wasn't a date. I just…I shouldn't have done…" He waved his hand around uselessly. "…that."

_I don't believe this. Did he forget that *I* hit on *him*?_ I walked over to him until I was face to face with him, lifting my chin so I could look him in the eye. "Let me tell you something, _Greg._" I poked him in the chest for emphasis. "I did not do one thing that I didn't want to do." Greg looked a bit stunned at my boldness. I was a little surprised at myself, too. "And that includes kissing you _silly, _you old geezer." I couldn't resist one more jibe at his age.

I took his hands in mine and got as close to him as I possibly could. "Don't you *ever* apologize for something like that ever again. Especially when you clearly have a…gift for it." _Gift. Yeah, that's certainly one way to put it. Wow. Damn. _I resisted the urge to deeply kiss him again and settled on a gentle peck on the lips. "Good night, Greg."

He wrapped those long arms around me in a full, warm hug, returning my kiss with a soft one of his own. _Dear diary…Gregory House actually expressed affection. Will alert media in the morning. _"Good night, Cam." His voice seemed to trail off as I started to head out the door. "Cam, wait!" I turned around at the sharp tone in his voice. "I…uh…wanted to ask you something."

His eyes had that unfocused look again, betraying his discomfort. "Would you like to…go out?" _Is he asking me out on a…date? The world has gone mad. Definitely. _He cleared his throat and continued. "It should be a pretty decent day tomorrow. Thought maybe you'd like to go for a ride, maybe get something to eat. Totally casual, of course." The motorcycle ride had definitely been the best part of our date from hell. I'd never been on a bike prior to that, but Greg was a good driver, if a bit of a speed demon, and I had utmost confidence in his skills.

"Of course. Call me around noon. I should be up and around by then."

"Noon sounds…perfect." Greg smiled and leaned down, giving me one last little smooch. _Smooch? That is *so* junior high. Very sweet, though._ "Good night, Cam. Drive safely and all that…you know."

I walked out the door, feeling just a little dazed after the evening's events. The door closed behind me and I made my way down the steps to my car. As I climbed in and turned the ignition, my thoughts turned to the evening I had shared with a certain cantankerous old doctor. Tonight he showed a side of him I never expected…sweet, funny, insecure, and _damn_, he had quite the…uh…tongue action. No matter what happened between the two of us, I would never be able to see Greg quite the same way again. I turned on the CD player, not remembering what was in there last. The opening strain's of Billy Joel's 'The Stranger' flowed through my speakers. Right then, I couldn't think of any song that summed up Greg more appropriately. I chuckled and turned for home, looking forward to tomorrow's…what was it exactly? Perhaps it would be better to let it go undefined. Definitely less stressful all around. 'Not-dating' Gregory House was turning out to be an interesting experience, to say the least.

**Sooo...Is it a date, or isn't it? Will it matter? Either way, it should be a fun ride. Stay tuned. :) Keep on reading and reviewing.**


	11. Into The Great Wide Open

**Thank you for your continued support. Again, none of this is mine, music included. Music credits at the end. :)**

**House**

My eyes popped open as bright light slipped into the bedroom. I reached for my pills, trying to focus my fuzzy brain, my eyes adjusting to the light. I popped a couple of Vicodin and pushed myself out of bed, stumbling slightly down the hallway.

_Coffee. Coffeecoffeecoffee._ I concentrated on the ritual of boiling water, scooping instant coffee into a cup, stirring, sipping, BURNING, and limping over to the piano. I didn't play, just sat, letting my mind replay the events of last night. Good food, good movies, and one _damn_ fine kiss. I sighed as I picked out a few notes on the piano, not really focusing on anything. No matter what, my brain kept returning to _that _moment, on _this _bench, with _that woman. Shit, House, obsess much? I'll bet Cam's not nearly as crazy over this as you are. It's just a damn kiss. Get over yourself._

My mind snapped back to the present. I had a few things to do before I picked Cam up for our ride. She needed her own helmet and jacket, and I wanted to stop by the motorcycle shop so that she'd be ready to go. Besides, I had this insane urge to surprise her with…a…gift? _I'm such a *girl*. Or a Wilson. Maybe aliens didn't take my brain. Maybe they did a straight-up exchange. Yeah, 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Princeton Edition'. Wilson would laugh his ass off if he knew what I was thinking right now…_No matter. I had things to do, places to go, hot women to pick up, and any time I spent brooding was less time I'd have with the hot woman in question.

**Cameron**

I woke earlier than I anticipated given how late I got to sleep. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, I gave up and dragged myself out of bed. Coffee would be my first order of business. Maybe that would help clear the fog from my brain. It certainly wouldn't hurt.

My mind replayed last night's events as the coffee brewed. I could still hear Greg playing the piano and softly singing that song…_You're my sweet maple sugar, honey…hot buttered rum._ Gregory House, closet romantic. Chase and Foreman wouldn't believe it if I told them. I still wasn't sure if I believed it, and I wasn't convinced I'd ever see a repeat performance. _Wouldn't mind a repeat performance of that kiss, though._ I smiled at the memory. _Nobody would believe me if I told them about *that*, either. Maybe I'll just leave out that part of the story. Yeah._

The coffeemaker spluttered as it completed its brew cycle, bringing me back to reality. I poured myself a cup and padded to the living room, turning on the TV to one of the music channels. The soft strains of mandolin and banjo reached my ears, matching my mellow mood. The lyrics caught my ears and sunk into my brain. _'Just another bird in a house…dying to get out…'_ Damn, that didn't sound like anyone I knew. _'I want to sing my own song, that's all…cried the bird, and flew into the wall…'_ I sighed and took another sip of coffee. I didn't want anything to bring me down today. I just wanted to go for a ride, hang out with Greg, and enjoy the day.

**House**

After a quick shower, I dug through my drawers in search of something decent to wear. My standard weekend ratty t-shirt thing would not cut it today. _What the hell, am I channeling Wilson? Next thing you know I'll have a tie rotation and some of those ridiculous French shoes. Just find something less…raggedy, huh?_

I put on my watch and checked the time. Nearly noon. I grabbed my cell and scrolled through my contact list until I reached Cam's number. I hit send and waited for the connection.

"Hello, this is Cameron."

"Cam, hey…it's Greg." _Hello, it's the return of Captain Obvious!_

She laughed warmly. "Good morning…afternoon, Greg."

I smiled and chuckled nervously. "You ready to roll?"

"Whenever you're ready."

"Okay…I've got one stop to make, then I'll be over."

"Cool…see you when you get here."

"Cool…see ya soon."

I ended the call and ran my hand through my hair. Quick stop at the motorcycle shop, and then off on my adventure with Cam. I tried and failed to contain a small grin of anticipation as I headed out the door.

**Cameron**

I finished my coffee and took a quick shower. Before long I found myself staring at my open closet, debating what to wear. After much pondering, I selected a moss green turtleneck sweater, dark wash straight leg jeans, and black leather ankle boots. _Casual, but put together…perfect for a fall motorcycle ride._

A sharp ring pulled me out of my fashion ponderings. I picked up my cell, noting the Caller ID. _House, Gregory._ Ah, of course. It was almost exactly noon. _For once he's on time for something…_

"Hello, this is Cameron."

"Cam, hey…it's Greg." _No shit, Sherlock. _

I chuckled, picking up the slight vibration in his tone. "Good morning…afternoon, Greg."

He laughed nervously in response. "You ready to roll?"

"Whenever you're ready."

"Okay…I've got one stop to make, then I'll be over." _Really? *That's* interesting…STOP. I'm sure it's got *nothing* to do with you. Relax._

"Cool, see you when you get here."

"Cool, see ya soon." He abruptly ended the call. _Now that's more like it. Wouldn't want to totally ruin his rep, I'm sure._

**House**

I entered the bike shop and ventured into unfamiliar territory—the women's department. I started browsing through the leather jackets, losing myself in the scent of new leather. _Nothing like it in the world. The only thing better would be…Snap out of it! Just pick a jacket, pick a helmet, and get the hell out of here._

I selected a slim cut black leather jacket, guessing on the size. I'd have to remember to keep the receipt this time, just in case. This whole process was…unfamiliar, a bit uncomfortable. The last time I bought a gift for a woman…hell, I couldn't even remember. What was the last gift I bought Stacy? _Ancient history, House. Move on._ I made my way to the counter, clearing my throat to get the clerk's attention.

"Excellent choice." He nodded toward the jacket on the counter. "Gift for the girlfriend?"

_Girlfriend?! What?! No. Nonono. _"Friend. Gift for a friend. It's her first motorcycle ride. Just want to make sure she's…" _Taken care of? NO. _"…properly attired. I'll need one of those helmets, too."

The clerk gave me a skeptical look, pulled down the helmet, and rang me up. I tossed a credit card on the counter, paid for my purchases, and headed out the door.

"Great day for a ride, man!" the clerk called out as I left. "Bet your 'friend' becomes your 'girlfriend' by the end of the day…" _Oh shut the hell up. Damned twerpy kid. What does he know, anyway?_

I mounted the bike, securing my purchases behind me, clipping my cane into its holder. I was feeling edgy, not sure what the day would bring. I was kind of pissed at the presumptuous kid, but I couldn't help feeling a little hopeful. I doubted that Cam would be my 'girlfriend' at the end of the day, but it didn't matter…really. It didn't matter at all. I revved up and headed out into the great unknown.

**Yeah...I know, left you hanging there. Don't worry, we pick up next chapter with the ride itself. Read, review, love.**

**Music Credits:**

**"Hot Buttered Rum", Red Clay Ramblers, _Chuckin' the Frizz  
_"Bird in a House", Railroad Earth, _Bird in a House_**


	12. It's Just A Ride

**Another long winded chapter ahead. Sorry, I just wanted to fit the whole ride in here. Thanks for your continued support.**

**Still don't own them, so I'm not making a dime off them.**

**House**

By the time I finished up at the bike shop, it was close to 1:00. _Did I really waste that much time trying to find a jacket and helmet? Really? This is crazy. That was a hell of a lot of money to spend on a one-time thing…You don't know that. It's possible that she'll have such an awesome time with you that she'll want a repeat. Stranger things *have* happened. _Not much stranger, I had to admit. No stranger than, say, sitting on my bike in front of Cam's building talking to myself. It wasn't so bad that I was talking to myself, but I had started answering myself, too. There had to be some line I was crossing with that one.

I cut the ignition, took off my helmet, grabbed my purchases, unclipped my cane, and gimped to the door. An unfamiliar feeling overcame me as I raised my cane to tap on the door. That seemed to be happening more and more lately since Cam's return. _Coincidence? Yeah, *totally*. Freaking relax, will you? _I scrubbed my hand over my hair, waiting not-so-patiently for the door to open. Just as I was preparing to knock a second time, I heard the sounds of locks being undone.

The door swung open to reveal…_Whoa. She just keeps getting hotter. Shake it off, shake it off…be cool._ A green turtleneck swept over her curves, just past her waist. Well-fitted _(yeah, let's go with that…it sounds less creepy)_ dark jeans and black boots completed the stunning look.

Cam looked at me as if she was waiting for me to say something when I realized I was still standing outside her door. "Don't just stand there, come on in."

"Um…yeah, thanks." _Hello…awkward… _"Here, " I unceremoniously shoved the bag at her. "I bought you a little something for the ride."

She pulled out the jacket and helmet, her eyes widening as she looked them over. She tried on the jacket. As I thought, it was a little big, but not bad. _Definitely not bad. Downright SMOKING is more like it. You know…we don't *have* to go on that ride…Aargh. Slow your roll, old man. One step at a time. _

"I still have the receipt if you need a different size…"

"No, are you kidding? It's perfect. Thank you." She kissed me on the cheek. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble, you know."

"It's no problem. I wanted to make sure you…you know…were all set for riding. You know, in case you ever go again." _With me. In case you ever go again with me. God, you moron. Just spit it out._

"So…shall we?" Cam turned off the TV and grabbed her purse and keys.

"Let's hit the road." I gestured for her to lead the way.

She locked up and we headed down the steps to the bike. This was miles away from our first outing. Instead of dreading what was to come, I was actually looking forward to the day ahead. We strapped on our helmets and climbed on the bike. She settled in behind me, pressing her soft body against mine. The combination of new leather and Cam's signature scent was about to have a devastating effect on me, and I hurriedly clipped in the cane and fired up the bike. I revved the bike a couple of times, she patted my chest to let me know she was ready, and we were off.

**Cameron**

I was still puttering around the apartment, listening to music when I heard the familiar sound of wood on wood. That could only be one person…Greg. I quickly fluffed my hair a bit and smoothed my sweater before opening the door.

_Wow. _He looked even better than he had the previous night, if that were possible. He was dressed in a deep navy blue button down over a grey t-shirt, dark wash jeans, and black boots. A bad case of helmet hair, his leather jacket, and wraparound shades completed the look. _Who IS that hottie at my door? You know…we could just skip the ride…_

I blinked to clear my head. "Don't just stand there. Come on in." He seemed to return from whatever faraway place his mind was and step-thumped over the threshold.

"Um…yeah, thanks." He shoved the bag he was holding into my hands. "I bought you a little something for the ride."

I opened the bag and pulled out the helmet, followed by a leather jacket. The smell hit me immediately, and I inhaled deeply. _Whoa…he did all this just for one ride? Wow…this is…this is crazy! I can't believe he did this!_ I put the jacket on and zipped it up. It was a little loose, giving me plenty of room to move.

"I still have the receipt if you need a different size." Greg offered.

"No, are you kidding? It's perfect, thank you." I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble, you know."

Greg's eyes were unreadable behind his sunglasses. "It's no problem. I wanted to make sure you were all set for riding…you know…in case you ever go again."

We were silent for a moment, the TV the only noise in the room. "So…shall we?" I turned off the TV, picked up my purse and keys and headed toward the door.

"Let's hit the road." Greg gestured for me to lead the way.

I locked up the apartment as Greg hobbled down to his bike. After fastening on our helmets, he climbed on, clipping his cane in its holder. I climbed on behind him, wrapped my arms around his waist, and patted his chest to signal my readiness. Greg fired up the bike, revved it a couple of times, and we were off and running to parts unknown.

**House**

My mind was going as fast as the bike as we sped down the roads outside of Princeton. I didn't have a particular destination in mind. Usually I'm riding solo, so I just ride until my leg tells me it's time for a pit stop. Of course, I don't normally have such a distracting passenger on these journeys. This was going to be more difficult than I anticipated.

We were about an hour away from Princeton when my leg started throbbing. There was a diner not too far off that would provide a convenient stopping point. I guided the bike into the parking lot and slowed to a stop right in front. Cam gracefully dismounted, only shaking slightly as her feet hit the ground. My own dismount was going to take a little more time, and I was a little uncomfortable with the idea of an audience. _To hell with it. I'm hurting, I need my drugs, she can just deal._ I dug my Vicodin out of my jeans pocket , popped the lid, and dry-swallowed a couple.

Cam looked at me as if she were ready to say something. Instead, she pulled the helmet off her head and smoothed down her hair. _God, she's beautiful. No, really. I mean it this time. Every time I think she can't possibly get any hotter…_

I managed to swing my right leg over the back of the bike without killing myself and unclipped my cane. We wandered into the nearly-empty diner and eased into a booth.

The silence seemed to stretch across the table. I was suddenly reminded of the awkwardness of our initial date. _I wonder if she feels as uncomfortable as I do. This sounded like a much better idea last night. That's it. That's the last time I come up with brilliant ideas so late at night…especially after hot tongue action. I'm sure that's what did it. I wasn't thinking straight. Never again._

"Hey, are you alright over there?" Cam tapped the table in front of me. "I was wondering what's good."

"Oh, sorry. Guess my brain wandered off for a minute." I picked up the menu that suddenly appeared in front of me. "The pancakes are good. I usually have the Reuben, though." I placed my elbow on the table, leaning my chin into my hand so I could get a good look at Cam. Her hair was still a little messy from the ride, and I could smell leather and a soft flowery scent from across the table. The combination was intoxicating, and I briefly considered leaning across the table to capture her soft, full lips in another kiss.

The waitress showed up just then to take our orders. Before long our food was placed in front of us and we dug in, eating in silence. My drugs finally kicked in and my leg settled down into its usual whispering throb. I felt Cam's eyes on me as I popped the last French fry in my mouth.

"Something on my face?"

She shook her head and smiled. "Nope, just checking you out. You're looking especially good today, that's all."

_What? Is there some other guy in the room I'm not aware of? She can't be talking about me._

I rolled my eyes. "Crazy stalker girl."

She laughed lightly at me. "I'm serious." Cam tilted her head and looked at me. "When are you going to start believing me when I compliment you? If I say you look good, then you look good. Quit deflecting."

I shook my head at her. "I just find it hard to believe we're talking about the same guy, that's all."

"Well…believe it." She reached across the table and took my hand. "Look, I know you usually stalk around, bellowing, snarking, and making everyone crazy. It's what you do. Let's just say…I see you a little differently now. Is that so bad?"

"Fine." I huffed. "Just don't make those…goo-goo eyes at me when we're at work." I waved my hand dismissively. "Chase will get, like, _sooo_ jealous." Cam chuckled and shook her head, the tension finally dissipating between us.

I tossed down cash to cover the bill and the tip. "Come on, my little stalker. Let's get some more riding in before the day's out."

**Cameron**

Greg guided the bike down the winding back roads that led us away from Princeton. He didn't tell me where we were going, so I naturally assumed he had some destination in mind. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who wandered without purpose.

Eventually we pulled into a diner about an hour or so outside of Princeton. The parking lot was deserted, and Greg pulled into a spot directly in front. I climbed off the back of the bike, feeling a little unsteady after the long ride. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye as I removed my helmet. It was just Greg popping a couple of Vicodin. _If I'm a little stiff and sore, his leg must be killing him._ I was a bit concerned, but he managed to ease his leg over the seat, unclipping the cane as he went. He removed the helmet and shades, tucking the shades over the collar of his t-shirt. We fell into step with each other as we entered the diner and settled into a booth.

The waitress brought a pair of menus and I began to peruse it eagerly. I hadn't had anything since my coffee that morning, and I just now realized how hungry I actually was.

"So…what's good, Greg?" I looked up across the table, but Greg seemed deeply lost in thought. His bright blue eyes darted around the room as he fiddled with his sunglasses. "Hey, are you alright over there?" I tapped the table to get his attention. "I was wondering what's good."

He shook his head as if to clear his mental cobwebs. "Sorry, guess my brain wandered off for a minute." He picked up the menu in front of him, giving it a passing glance. "The pancakes are good, but I usually have the Reuben." _Of course. Why am I even surprised? I don't know why I even asked. God, I suck at small talk. Maybe we should just stick to movies and take out from now on. Not so much…talking involved there. _I continued to look over the menu when I felt a set of eyes boring into my skull. Of course it was Greg, elbow on the table, chin resting on his hand, just…staring at me with those ridiculously blue eyes. From anyone else, it would be creepy, but for some reason…he looked absolutely adorable. It took every bit of self-control not to lean across the table and plant a kiss right on those beautiful lips.

Fortunately, the food showed up just then and it became a non-issue. We made quick work of our food, and Greg seemed to relax a bit as the meal progressed. I guess I was staring at him, because he glared at me suspiciously as he popped his last French fry in his mouth.

"Something on my face?"

_Busted. Whoops. _I shook my head and smiled. "Nope, just checking you out. You're looking especially good today, that's all." _Boy, way to be subtle, Cam. Just…blurt it out, like a girl with a silly crush. God, you doofus._

He rolled his eyes. "Crazy stalker girl."

_Hey! I'm being serious here! What is WRONG with you?!_ "I'm serious." Greg tilted his head and squinted at me, as if I were some puzzle to figure out. "When are you going to start believing me when I compliment you? If I say you look good, then you look good. Quit deflecting."

Greg looked slightly downward, avoiding my eyes. "I guess I just find it hard to believe we're talking about the same guy."

_Ooh…when I track down the people responsible for his awful self-image…yeah, that'll happen._ Instead I reached across the table and took his hand. "Well, believe it. Look, I know you usually stalk around, bellowing, snarking, and making everyone crazy. It's what you do. Let's just say…I see you a little differently now. Is that so bad?"

"Fine." He huffed in response. "Just don't make those…goo-goo eyes at me when we're at work." He waved a hand around dismissively. "Chase will get, like, _sooo_ totally jealous."

I couldn't help but laugh at him. _Goo-goo eyes? Even I'm not that girly. Give me a break._ He tossed cash on the table to cover the bill. "Come on, my little stalker girl. Let's get some more riding in before the day's out." I followed Greg out of the diner, relieved to see his good mood returning. There was still plenty of daylight left, and I looked forward to spending more time clinging to Greg on the back of that bike. Did I mention how much I love the smell of leather?

**More fun ahead for our road trippers. :) Stay tuned. Read, review, all that good stuff. I'll keep writing.**


	13. Late In The Evening

**Well...by now you know the drill. Don't own them, never will, but I'll keep borrowing them.**

**House**

After our somewhat awkward diner meal, Cam and I suited back up and got back on the road. We cruised around the back roads of Jersey, no particular destination in mind. I briefly entertained the idea of turning toward Atlantic City. _Cam would have a blast there. It would be just like the monster truck rally, but without the monster trucks. Then I could steal her cotton candy again, too._ I smiled at the fond memory, but decided that was a trip that could wait for another time. _Another time, huh? You sure are assuming a lot. Never assume anything. Don't you know that by now?_

We stopped off at a small town gas station to fuel up the bike and make a pit stop. I took care of the bike while Cam went inside to grab a couple of drinks. She returned with a Coke for each of us, and I cracked mine and took a long pull, draining half of it in one shot.

The sun was just barely starting to set as we leaned against the bike, relaxing a bit before we turned for the ride back to Princeton. I snuck a glance at Cam in the evening light. A cool breeze blew a few tendrils of her hair in her face, and she reached up with a delicate hand to brush them away.

I beat her to it.

The idea that I could just reach out and touch her whenever I wanted was still a new concept to me. I moved my hand to the back of her neck, gently stroking the soft skin. A chill went through me as she sighed and laid her head against my shoulder.

_This is not happening. This never happens to me. I'm a loner, a cranky old bastard that pushes the world away. I'm incapable of love, affection…any number of normal human emotions. How did this one sneak in? Some things you just don't question, I suppose._

I slipped my hand from her neck to wrap my arm around her shoulder, laying a gentle kiss on the top of her head. We stood there for a long moment, and I closed my eyes, deeply inhaling the scent that I now associated with Cam alone. _If I'm dreaming…and I still might be…whoever wakes me up is DEAD._

Cam wrapped her slim arms around me and squeezed gently. My other arm reached out to envelop her completely as another cool breeze blew around us. The breeze sent another chill through me as I stood there, simply holding Cam close to me. _Yeah, it's the breeze that's sending chills through me. It has nothing to do with this sweet little woman that has wormed her way into my heart. Nope, nothing to do with it at all. That's my story…_

"We should head back. It's getting a little chilly out here." I kissed her once more, this time on her forehead.

Cam sighed again and extricated herself from my arms. "I suppose you're right. It could be a cold ride back."

Before I knew it, we were back on the bike, flying through the twilight back to Princeton. I silently cursed myself for…for what, exactly? It's not like I could have gone much further at a gas station. _Get real, old man. Just what exactly did you think you were going to do back there? Besides, if things go right…_I didn't dare continue that line of thought. Even though I'd had my share of disappointment in life, that didn't mean I was willing to set myself up for more of the same.

**Cameron**

After our meal at the diner, Greg and I suited up and got back on the bike. He expertly guided the bike down the back roads, and I enjoyed the view from the back. It really was a glorious fall day, and the leaves were in full color. It's my favorite time of year. Just warm enough to enjoy the outdoors, but without the humidity that almost always accompanies the summer months.

A couple of hours later, we pulled into a small gas station. Greg put gas in the bike while I went inside, bringing back a couple of Cokes. I handed him one, and he drained half of it in one shot. Driving the bike was thirsty work, I suppose. We leaned against the bike, watching as the sun started to drop toward the horizon.

I stood there, simply enjoying the beauty of the sunset, when I felt a hand brush back a few runaway tendrils of my hair. When I looked over, Greg had moved his large, slightly rough hand to the back of my neck, gently massaging. I didn't realize how stiff my neck was, and his touch felt good. I sighed and leaned my head against his shoulder.

Greg slowly moved his hand from my neck and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, gently planting a kiss on top of my head. _Oh, I would hate to wake up right now. This just feels so…right, somehow. Natural, even._ Impulsively, I wrapped both arms around Greg, giving him a small hug. He responded in kind, wrapping his other arm around me, this time kissing my forehead.

A light breeze blew, sending a chill down my spine. _It's just the breeze, nothing more. It's got nothing to do with this normally caustic, snarky old guy suddenly showing a soft side. No, nothing to do with it at all._

"We should head back. It's starting to get a little chilly out here." Greg's husky voice brought me back to Earth.

_Dammit._ I reluctantly unwrapped myself from Greg. "I suppose you're right. It could be a cold ride back."

Almost instantly we were back on the bike, flying down the back roads that led back to Princeton. I couldn't help but feel that we had broken some sort of spell back at the gas station. _It's not like we could have gone much farther back there anyway. Just as well, I guess. Of course, the night's not over yet…_I barely dared entertain any further thoughts. Facts were facts, after all, and he was still my boss, and I was still his employee. Things could get even more awkward between us in a hurry. But…if we played our cards right…

I pushed the doubts from my mind, simply content at that moment to fly through the night on the back of a motorcycle, taking a deep whiff of a scent that was uniquely Gregory House.

**House**

I pulled up in front of Cam's apartment building, still unsure how to handle the rest of the evening. I didn't want to be so bold as to invite myself in, but I wasn't sure if she was going to make that move._ I guess I'll play it by ear…what else can I do? I wouldn't mind spending more time with her, if she'll have me. What the hell am I going to do at home? Same old thing I always do…order up bad take-out, watch worse movies, probably drink until I get close to passing out…ooh, yeah, sounds like a real hoot. Crazy what you'll get used to after a while. Maybe Wilson's around. I could always get a hold of him…_

"Hey, are you at least going to walk me to the door?" Cam was standing over me, helmet in hand, with a teasing smile on her face. _Doh. Hey, dipshit, how about dragging yourself out of that pool of self-pity long enough to make sure the lady gets into her place safely? Too much to ask, you think?!_

"Of course I will. Give me a damn minute." I snapped back, a little more irritably than I'd intended. My leg was screaming at me for all the time I spent on the bike today, and it took a few minutes for me to swing my leg awkwardly over the bike saddle without the damn thing cramping up on me. A hurt look flashed briefly across Cam's features, and I winced in response. "Sorry, Cam." I sighed and rubbed my thigh. "Too much time on the bike, not enough rest, and not enough drugs. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"It's okay. No apology needed." _Oh bullshit. Stop patronizing me. _"Come in and take a load off. I'll order us a pizza or something."

I nodded and unclipped the cane. It was a going to be a long, slow, painful walk up those stairs, and Cam seemed unsure whether to offer assistance. I waved her over, allowing myself to lean on her shoulder as we made our way up the few steps to her apartment.

"Good thing you're on the first floor." I grumbled as she unlocked the door.

She chuckled softly. "Good thing you've still got your sense of humor." She delivered me to the couch, and I sank gratefully into the cushions, digging for the Vicodin. I dry-swallowed two and waited for relief.

Cam returned from the kitchen with our Cokes from the gas station. She handed mine to me and took a sip of hers, then turned on the TV to one of the digital music channels. It sounded vaguely country, but less twangy. Whatever it was, it sounded good, and I focused on the soothing sounds of guitar, banjo, and something else I didn't quite recognize as the cramping in my leg abated.

"I called in our order. Should be here in about half an hour." Cam kicked off her boots and settled in on the couch next to me. "Meat combo for you, deluxe for me. Sound good to you?"

"Yeah, thanks." I closed my eyes, thinking of nothing in particular.

"You want your boots off?"

"What?" My eyes flew open, not entirely sure what she was asking. _Duh, hello. Simple question, simple answer._ "I can get them, don't sweat it." I toed off my right boot fairly easily, but the left one was giving me some difficulty. I grunted as I managed to get the left one off, a pain shooting briefly through my thigh. Cam glanced over at me as I struggled, arching an eyebrow. _Don't start with the sympathy shit. Just don't start. I've managed on my own this long, I'll keep right on dealing. Leave me alone…_was the last thought I remembered before my eyelids drifted shut…

**Cameron**

We pulled up in front of my building, and Greg cut the ignition. As much as I wanted him to at least walk me to the door, maybe even come in for a while, I suspected that his leg would give him a hard time after all that time on the bike today. I was a bit sore after I got off the bike, so I could only imagine how he felt.

"Hey, are you at least going to walk me to the door?" I gently teased him.

He whipped his head at me, pain showing in his eyes. "Of course I will. Give me a damn minute." I was a bit surprised, even a bit hurt, at his harsh tone. I hoped I didn't let it show, but apparently it slipped through. He dropped his head slightly and sighed. "Sorry, Cam. Too much time on the bike, not enough rest, and not enough drugs. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"It's okay. No apology needed." I stood back, giving him space and time to ease himself off the bike. "You want to come in for a while, take a load off? I could order us some pizza or something."

Greg nodded, finally making his way off the bike, unclipping the cane. I hung back, not wanting to hover over him. Instead he waved me over, leaning on me for support as we made our way up the stairs and into the building.

"Good thing you're on the first floor." He gasped out in rough tones, obviously in pain.

I chuckled softy. "Good thing you've still got your sense of humor." I let us in and deposited Greg on the couch, none too gracefully. He's bigger than he looks, and in his current state was almost nothing but dead weight. I went into the kitchen and called the pizza place, placing an order for a meat combo and a deluxe combo. That done, I walked back into the living room, handing Greg the remains of his Coke and turning on the TV. The bluegrass music channel was still on from earlier, and I allowed the soothing tones to relax me, and hopefully Greg, too. I told him what I had ordered, and he seemed content with that. The tense look that crossed his features earlier seemed to slowly leave him as he leaned his head against the couch cushions.

I looked over and noticed he still wore his boots. I had kicked mine off when I sat down on the couch. "Hey, you want your boots off?"

He seemed disoriented, like he had just fallen asleep. "What? I can get them, don't sweat it." He easily toed off his right boot, but seemed to struggle painfully with the left. _God, you stubborn ass. Would it kill you to ask for help?!_ He managed, but it seemed to hurt him more. He glared at me briefly, then leaned back, closed his eyes, and promptly fell asleep.

I simply sat and watched him sleep. Obviously the day had taken a lot out of him. It was fun, and I finally understood why Greg loved that bike so much. Being on a motorcycle was as close as you could get to flying while staying on the ground. There was a sense of danger, but not too much. _I'd go again in a heartbeat if he asked me. Today was a real blast._ Greg's breathing evened out and his face relaxed, looking almost boyish, if it weren't for the grey of his hair and beard. The lines etched on his face only served to accent his softly chiseled face. No, I could never think of Greg as old. Rugged, yes. Handsome, definitely. But old? No way in hell. I reached over and lightly stroked his cheek. _Whoever told you that you were somehow unworthy of love was an idiot. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more than you…_

**Yep, leaving you hanging again. :) Read, review, love (or don't. It's okay, I can take a little criticism. No flames, though.).**


	14. So Close, Yet So Far Away

**Once again, the usual disclaimers apply. I don't own the characters or the music, so don't bother suing. You won't get anything anyway. :)**

**House**

A familiar smell wafted into my nostrils and woke me up. I felt a lot better after my nap and drugs combo, and the leg had finally abated to a dull roar. It took a few minutes to come around and orient myself to my surroundings. Unfamiliar music played in the background, and the couch was definitely not my own.

Finally everything came rushing back to me. The ride, the gas station, my asinine behavior after bringing Cam home…_Oh yes, I remember now…so if I'm not at home…where the hell am I? There's no way Cam would have let me hang around after the way I acted._

I blinked and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. Looking around, things started to come together. Cam was leaning forward on the couch, digging into a pair of pizza boxes. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that it had been…a while since I'd eaten.

Cam turned to me and smiled slightly. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty." She handed me a plate. "Feeling better? You were looking a little rough earlier."

I stretched and yawned, then took the plate from her hand. "Yeah, a lot better. How long was I out?"

"Not long. The pizza just got here a few minutes ago." _'Not long' as in an hour ago? Jesus, why didn't she wake me up?! Oh, right…waking me up would have been like…how does Wilson describe it? 'Like poking a hibernating bear, only more dangerous.' Right. _I shifted forward and snagged a couple of pieces of what looked like a meat combo, then leaned back into the cushions.

I worked my way through my pizza, then nodded at the TV. "What are we listening to?"

"Bluegrass. I kind of grew up listening to it, and returned to it when I hit adulthood. Kind of like finding your first love again."

I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Cam to put a romantic spin on something as mundane as musical preferences. "Nice analogy, Cam. " _Stop with the snark! Like she hasn't put up with enough from you today. Just shut up and eat the damn pizza._

**Cameron**

The pizza arrived, but Greg was still sleeping. I decided to let sleeping dogs lie, as it were, and grabbed a couple of plates from the kitchen. I loaded up my own plate with the deluxe combo and dug in while Greg snoozed peacefully next to me.

Suddenly the beast stirred, and Greg opened his eyes, blinking and looking around, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looked so damned adorable with that dopey, half-awake look on his face. I couldn't resist teasing him a little.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Feeling better?" I handed him a plate as he stretched and yawned. _So cute. God, what am I, twelve? Stop being so damn silly._ "You were looking a little rough earlier." Boy, that was a major understatement. I thought he was going to bite my head off before he fell asleep earlier.

"Yeah, a lot better." Greg took the plate from my hand and loaded up. "How long was I out?"

"Not long. The pizza just arrived a few minutes ago." _Okay, it was more like an hour or so, maybe longer. I'll be damned if I was going to disturb you. I'm not nearly as dumb as I look, you know._

He regarded me suspiciously, as if he knew I was lying. Even half-asleep, it was damn near impossible to get anything past him. He continued to eat, leaning back against the cushions and nodding at the TV. "What are we listening to?"

"Bluegrass. I grew up listening to it, then returned to it as an adult. Kind of like finding your first love again." _Where did that come from? I sound like an idiot. A sappy, gooey, overly romantic idiot. _

He rolled his eyes. "Nice analogy, Cam." _Yes, I'm an idiot. I get it. Please let it go. For once PLEASE let one of my foolish statements go. I wasn't thinking, okay? Just shut up and eat your pizza, Cam._

**House**

We continued to eat in awkward silence. I felt kind of bad for snarking at Cam about her musical preferences. Not so much her preferences, just her…overly romantic view of it. _Are you really surprised? You knew what she was long ago, fool. She hasn't changed, you know. Not that I'd want her to…God, what's wrong with me? I was kind of hoping the aliens were done experimenting with my brain by now. I think they plan on keeping it. Damn._

Cam rose from the couch and started tidying up, moving toward the kitchen. I had an inexplicable urge to follow, and, well…I needed to get up and move around anyway. I found my cane on the floor in front of the couch, leaned on it, and lurched from the couch. I wasn't hurting as much as I thought I would, just feeling some stiffness along with the normal dull throb in my thigh.

She was standing at the sink, washing and rinsing her few dishes and placing them in the drainer. I continued into the kitchen, pausing near the counter that separated it from the living room. _What are you waiting for, an engraved invitation? GO. _My feet remained rooted to their spot. My mind ran through a million possible ways this scenario could play out, creating a cacophony of voices inside my head.

The lone rational voice finally broke through. _She's put up with you so far. Hell, she even seems to enjoy spending time with you. You've snarled, growled, snapped at her, crashed out on her couch, and she hasn't kicked you out yet. Maybe…just maybe…she won't reject you. Just…get your ass in there already._

_FUCK this. _I slowly stepped into the kitchen, leaning heavily on my cane. She turned slightly as I entered, but kept working._ So much for sneaking up on her. _I thought with a smile, and kept moving forward. I looped my cane over my arm and slid my hands up her arms, starting at her elbows and ending at her shoulders. I thought I heard a soft breath as I moved to brush her hair from her neck. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might blow up right there. _Seems to be happening a lot lately. How much of this shit can one heart take?! _I lightly planted a series of soft kisses on her neck, starting near her shoulder blade and slowly working my way up until I reached her hairline.

"Hey you." Cam's voice was soft and husky, but she didn't turn around.

"Hey." I continued my ministrations, nuzzling her neck, losing myself in the scent of her hair. The music floated into my brain, finally making a connection. The lyrics were familiar, but the singer was an unfamiliar belting tenor. _…Girl you're looking fine tonight…and every guy has got you in his sights…what you're doing with a clown like me…is surely one of life's little mysteries…_

_What the hell?! Excuse me, I think I'm stuck in someone's movie soundtrack. I'd take it as some sort of sign, if I believed in that sort of thing, WHICH I DON'T thankyouverymuch._

I picked up the song at the chorus, singing softly into Cam's ear. "So tonight I'll thank…the stars above…how did I ever win your love? What did I do…what did I say…to turn your angel eyes…my way?" That got her attention, and she turned around, those unbelievably soft green eyes now burning with…something more. We stood there at her sink, staring at each other, waiting for the other to make a move.

I took a deep breath and dived in, crashing my lips against hers, my hands holding her face, damn near shoving my tongue down her throat. She grunted softly as I pressed her against the sink, her tongue fighting mine for dominance. A cane clattered in the distance as I moved my hands from her face, slipping them just under the hem of her sweater, caressing the impossibly soft skin underneath. Cam's own delicate hands moved to unbutton my shirt, slipping it off my shoulders and onto the floor. I felt a warm, soft pair of hands move under my t-shirt, and my breath caught in my throat under her touch.

Cam's hands moved up and down my back, sending a shiver through my body. I left her lips, leaving a trail of kisses along her jaw, pressing my lips just above the collar of her turtleneck. My tongue darted out, causing a sharp gasp to escape Cam's lips. I continued to slide my hands further up her sweater until I reached the outline of her bra. I started to work the closure when I felt my mind freeze.

_What the hell am I doing?!_ My hands stopped, but I didn't move them. I pulled away from her delicate neck and looked her dead in the eyes. Her lips were parted slightly, and her chest heaved a bit from our brief make-out session. Her eyelids were heavy with desire, and yet…

"I can't do this." A stranger's voice escaped my lips. The stranger's voice was rough with a mixture of desire and regret.

"What's wrong, babe?" _Babe? Oh God, this thing has gone too far already._

"This…this…just seems like a bad idea." I removed my hands and bent over to pick up my cane and my shirt. I limped heavily out of the kitchen, leaving Cam at the sink. I sat down on the couch and put on my boots. She followed me and faced me, the coffee table separating us. The hurt on her face was evident as she stared me down. I got up from the couch, put on my jacket, then made my way around the coffee table, placing a hand on her shoulder. Not surprisingly, Cam pulled away from me, refusing to meet my eyes.

There was so much I wanted to say just then. _I'm sorry, I'm an asshole, I'm a jerk, I *suck* at this stuff. This is why I'm still single at damn near 50._ Instead I just dropped my hand and made my way to the door.

"Keep the jacket and helmet. You never know when they'll come in handy." My voice came out roughly, almost as if I was choking.

I closed the door behind me, making my way to the bike. _MORON._ I mentally kicked myself. _She was there, right there…you could have HAD her. She was all yours, until you got scared and ran away. Yeah, just go on and run. It's what you do. Run away like the sissy that you are. You didn't deserve her anyway._

I put one earbud in my ear and slammed my helmet over my head. I started the bike and scrolled through the menu on my I Pod, putting it on shuffle. I needed some tunes to wipe out the memory of another worthless night and to chase away the berating voices in my head. Finally I was ready, so I revved up the bike and pulled away from the curb, leaving the soul-crushing disappointment of what could have been far behind me.

**Oh come on...you didn't expect it to be all sunshine and puppies, did you?! Stay tuned, kids. :)**

**Music Credits:**

**"Angel Eyes", New Grass Revival, _Friday Night in America_**


	15. Working My Way Back To You

**Me again. :) I don't own House, Cameron, Wilson, or any of the music. Music credits at the end.**

**Cameron**

_I'm such an idiot._ I leaned against the door, sliding to the floor. _You did it again. You opened up to him, and he bolted and crushed you. Again. When are you ever going to learn? And things were going so well…_

I wandered back into the kitchen, where just moments before Greg and I had been making out like a pair of teenagers. There should have been an outline where his shirt and cane had fallen, like a crime scene. _Well, he did rip out my heart. Isn't that a crime?_ I sighed and chuckled darkly to myself, realizing that no real crime had been committed here. My mind drifted back to the events that transpired in the kitchen. His lips, his hands…both had left their marks on me. I swore that his unmistakably masculine scent still hung in the air. I could damn well still feel his surprisingly soft skin coupled with the hard muscles of his back under my hands. That memory would be burned in my brain forever.

_Oh stop. It's over. You had your chance, he ran out on you. Get over it._ Dammit, I didn't want to get over *anything*. We'd had such a great day, and things seemed to be rolling along so easily, right up until…

"_I can't do this."_ Those words felt like a slap in the face. I knew he didn't do it on purpose, but it didn't make me feel any better. _"You can keep the jacket and helmet. Never know when they might come in handy." _Right, because Princeton was just *swarming* with motorcyclists with whom I could hitch a ride. Maybe I'd just get my own bike. Then I wouldn't have to worry about it.

My mood shifted from sadness to anger. _He always runs! Anytime there's a chance he might get close to someone, he runs. What the hell is wrong with him?!_ I slammed my hands on the kitchen counter in frustration, hot tears pricking my eyelids. _This is stupid. I'm not going to cry over him. What's done is done. It's over, just let it go. Let. It. Go._

But of course…I couldn't just let it go. I poured myself a oversized glass of Shiraz and padded back to the living room. The TV provided background noise as I sipped my wine. All of a sudden the lyrics started to sink in. _"…flesh and bone…will scatter like the seeds…the things you own…were never yours to keep…Love alone…can carve a heart soul deep…"_

"Oh, shut the hell up, John." I buried my head in my hands and bawled like a baby.

**House**

I was nearly home, the I Pod mostly shutting out the voices that still lingered in my head. The shuffle feature ticked on, picking song after song, making no connection in particular.

As I rolled to a stop light, my mind wandered back to Cam. I didn't mean to break her heart…again. I just seemed to have this bad habit of…_of what? Shutting people out? Shutting down my own emotions? Shit…Cam knew that about me already. I don't know what she expected out of me. What can I say, I tried…and I failed. No surprises there._

My dark mood continued as the light changed and I revved the bike up again. Suddenly my I Pod switched songs on me again. It was one I hadn't heard in a while...hell, I'd actually forgotten I put it on there. _"…I get carried away by the look, by the light in your eyes…by the time I realize the ride I'm on…baby I'm long gone…"_

_Okay, I've definitely lost my mind now. That I Pod has a very twisted sense of humor. God…what the hell am I doing?! _I pulled off the road into a vacant parking lot, shaking as I cut the ignition. I ripped the helmet off my head, scrubbing my hand over my hair. I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out my phone. There was only one person I could call and talk this out with. I scrolled through my contacts and hit "send". Two rings and the person picked up.

"This is Doctor Wilson." Obviously he didn't bother to check the Caller ID.

"Wilson! It's me."

"House?!" His voice instantly switched into that worried tone I was so familiar with. "Are you okay?! Where are you?"

"Wilson…I'm fine. I'm not calling you from a gutter, don't worry. I just…" I huffed in frustration, picking my words carefully. "Look…I took Cam out for a ride on the bike today…and…"

"Cam?" He paused as he finally caught on. "Oh! Do you mean Cameron? That's good…right?"

I sighed. Sometimes I wished Jimmy would just shut the hell up and let me talk. "Yes…it was. It was great. We had a great day…we were starting to have a great night, I thought…and…well…" I paused before plunging in. "I messed it up. Big time. I don't know if it's fixable this time…" I felt that lump in my throat again, the same one I felt when I left Cam's place.

There was silence on the other end. Finally Wilson's voice was in my ear. "I think I get the idea. No details needed."

"Good, because I wouldn't give them to you anyway. Idiot."

"I'm not the one calling my best…no, my *only* friend after ditching a smart, beautiful, enticing woman on a Saturday night. Who's the idiot here?" _Okay, fair point, Wilson. Now help me out here!_

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, yes, I know…I *know*. I just…This is so stupid. What's wrong with me?"

Wilson chuckled. "How long do you have? I could go all night, you know." I growled in response. "Okay, seriously…Look. You're just…scared. It's normal. It's only as big a deal as you make it. Chances are she's just as scared of this…_thing_ as you are. Hang up the damn phone and go talk to the girl already, will you?"

"I think I've used up all my chances."

"I don't think so, House. Go. Try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Fine. I'll go. But don't be surprised if I come over to cry on your shoulder when it all goes to hell…"

I could almost hear him roll his eyes over the phone. "Just go. I'll be here if you need me, just like always." With that, I hung up and shoved the phone in my pocket. Taking a deep breath, I slammed the helmet back over my head, started the bike, and turned back toward Cam's place.

**Cameron**

I finally calmed down after having a pretty good cry. A few more sips of wine had me feeling…better, if not great, about things. Monday morning was going to be a real bitch, though. I hated the thought of walking through the door, facing an "I-told-you-so" from Foreman. _Maybe it's time to send out my resume again. Couldn't hurt, anyway._

A knock on the door brought me out of my train of thought. It wasn't the wood-on-wood I associated with Greg…House. _I'd better get used to calling him House again. Chances are I'll only see him at work from here on out._

"Who is it?" I called out without opening the door.

"Cam? It's me."

_What the hell was he doing back here? He should have been home and half in the bag by now. _"Go away, House."

There was silence on the other side, but no sounds that indicated that he was leaving. Finally I undid the locks and whipped open the door, ready to give House all kinds of hell.

He turned around and looked at me, his soft blue eyes once again unreadable. Suddenly he seemed to straighten up to his full height, and he took a deep breath.

"It might seem like an ordinary night…same old stars, same old moon up high…but when I see you standing at your door…" He started in that beautiful growling baritone. "Nothing's ordinary anymore…"

House…Greg was standing on one side of the door, I was on the other. My neighbors were probably wondering who the hell was serenading me in the middle of the night, but I didn't care.

"…I get carried away by the look, by the light in your eyes…before I even realize the ride I'm on…baby, I'm long gone…" He stepped over the threshold, nearly toe to toe with me. "…I get carried away…nothing matters but being with you…like a feather flying high on a windy day…" He leaned down and softly kissed my lips and whispered the last part. "…I get…carried away…"

The lump that had been building in my throat bubbled over, and my tears spilled over. I leaned against Greg and sobbed into his chest. He wrapped those long arms around me and held me close to him.

"Jesus, Cam. Turn off the waterworks already. I don't deal well with crying women." Greg's voice was rough with his own emotions. I couldn't help laughing a little at the absurdity of the whole situation. I stepped back a little, looking up at him. Those big blue eyes were shining with…something that threatened to spill over before he took a deep shaking breath and wrapped me in a crushing hug, placing a million small kisses all over my head.

**House**

I pulled up in front of Cam's building and parked the bike. I had come too far to turn back now, but that defeatist voice in the back of my head threatened to take over. Feeling more determined than ever, I hobbled up the steps and made my way to her door.

I knocked on the door with my fist, not wanting to give myself away immediately. There was still a greater-than-average chance that she would reject me, and I was taking enough chances this evening, quite frankly. I silently cursed myself for allowing Wilson to talk me into this foolishness. _"Talk to the girl…"_ he had said. Well, I didn't exactly have a way with words. _I'll have to say I love you in a song…no, too cheesy._ My mind snapped back to the song from my I Pod. _George Strait. Of course. King George. Maybe it won't totally sweep her off her feet, but maybe it will give me a shot to get back in Cam's good graces. Screw it…what have I got to lose except…a little pride, some more of my mind. Well, the mind's pretty much gone, obviously, or I wouldn't be here…_

"Who is it?" Cam's choked voice reached in and pulled me back to reality. Damn, it sounded like she'd been crying. This was not the start I was hoping for.

"Cam? It's me."

There was silence on the other side of the door. "Go away, House." _Dammit. I've lost her already…_I started to turn around and leave when the locks clicked and the door flew open.

She looked so small, vulnerable, and broken, standing in the doorway. _Shit, she *has* been crying. Gregory House, you are one world-class jackass. World. Class. This is it. Your last last chance. Just do it._

I took a deep breath and started singing. Cam's expression changed from hurt and anger, softening into an incredulous look as I stepped closer. As I finished the song, I leaned in, softly kissed her lips, and waited for her reaction.

Her green eyes shone with tears, and suddenly it was as if a dam was bursting. She leaned into me, bawling all over my leather jacket. I felt a lump rise in my own throat as I wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Jesus, Cam." I choked out. "Turn off the waterworks, will you? I don't deal well with crying women." She laughed a little bit, then stepped back to look me in the eyes. Even with red-rimmed, puffy eyes, she was still beautiful. I felt something blur my vision, and I took a deep, shaky breath before holding Cam even tighter to me than before, burying my face in her hair, pressing countless little kisses into that silly little romantic head of hers.

**You know the deal...read, review, and I keep bringing you more. :)**

**Music Credits:**

**"Love Alone", John Cowan, _Always Take Me Back  
_"Carried Away", George Strait, _Blue Clear Sky_**


	16. Back To Your Arms

**And...we're back! I still don't own them, but that's okay. I'm still having fun with them.**

**Cameron**

I was still reeling from Greg's unexpected midnight serenade. This day had been such an emotional rollercoaster, and we seemed to be on the 'up' part of the ride. I just hoped like hell we weren't setting ourselves up for another crash.

I pulled away from Greg and looked up at him. "Do you…want to come in?" He nodded and stepped through the door, closing it behind him. He still looked a little nervous, as if he wasn't sure that he was forgiven just yet. _There really isn't anything to forgive. He got scared and bolted. I'm sure it's not the first time. _To say that Greg was awkward at expressing his emotions was like…oh, I couldn't come up with a good analogy just then. I was wiped.

I walked over to him and cupped his face in my hands. "Relax, will you? Have a seat, I'll be right back." I knew I looked like an absolute wreck after all the crying, and I went into the bathroom to clean myself up and change into more comfortable clothes.

I inspected myself carefully in the bathroom mirror. Oh yeah, I was quite the mess. Red, puffy eyes, blotchy skin, and disheveled hair. _Wow, that's hot. NOT._ I changed into a t-shirt and flannel pants and wiped my face with a cold washcloth. When I deemed myself once again acceptable, I padded back out to the living room.

Greg was lounging in one of my side chairs when I returned. He was slightly slouched, his long legs stretched out in front of him, one crossed over the other at the ankles. He still wore his jacket, although he had unzipped it, revealing the now open button down shirt and grey t-shirt underneath. I lightly stroked the top of his head as I made my way to the couch, picking up my wine glass on the way.

When I was curled up on the couch, I reached a hand out to Greg. He looked at me with a slightly distrustful expression, but eventually reached out and took the hand I offered.

"So…now what?"

He lifted his head. "I don't know. Didn't think that far ahead." Greg stroked my hand with his thumb.

"Something made you come back, right?"

"Yeah…Wilson told me I was being an idiot." _Of course. I should have guessed that Wilson would figure into this eventually. Actually, I think he's been a part of this all along. Wilson, you DOG._

"Sure, this was all Wilson." I tilted my head so I could catch his eye. "I'm sure there's more to the story than that."

Greg scrubbed his face with his other hand. "I really don't want to go into this right now. Just know…" He sighed to himself, then looked me square in the eye. "Just know that…I'm sorry…and I'm an ass…and…I don't want to lose you before we even get started."

_Greg, you doofus. _"You never *lost* me, you idiot." He looked at me quizzically. "Think about all the times you've tried to push me away. Have I ever just…gone away?"

"No…no, I guess you haven't."

I rose from the couch and leaned over him, standing between his legs, hands on the armrests. "I'm not going anywhere. If you haven't figured that out by now…"

I never got to finish my statement.

Greg reached out and grabbed the back of my neck to pull me into a deep, intense kiss. I leaned into him, running my hands through his hair as his hands moved down to caress the small of my back. The scent of Greg's leather jacket combined with his own distinct scent proved too powerful for me to resist, and I straddled him to get as close as I could to him.

"This…this is not going to work." He grunted after a few minutes. I broke away from him and looked at him, baffled. _Oh no, not again._ He rolled his eyes. "I mean this *chair*. This isn't exactly big enough for the two of us, know what I mean?" Greg fixed me with a steely look and winked at me. "We need to move this party…elsewhere."

**House**

Cam pulled away from me and looked up at me. "Do you…want to come in?" I had forgotten that we were still standing in her open doorway. I nodded and we entered the apartment.

Today had just been…overwhelming. I still couldn't believe that Cam hadn't just slammed the door in my face after my little serenade stunt. Somehow I had to start finding a way to express myself a little less dramatically. All this drama was just wearing me out.

I stood there for a minute, feeling awkward. _What happens now? Nobody gave me the script for this part._ Cam was the first one to break the silence, walking over to me and cupping my face in her hands. "Relax. Have a seat. I'll be right back."

I eased myself into one of her side chairs and stretched out my legs, crossing at the ankles. I unzipped my jacket but didn't remove it, since I still wasn't sure how long I was going to be welcome. Cam returned momentarily in a loose t-shirt, flannel lounge pants, and a freshly scrubbed face. She grabbed her glass of wine and curled up on the couch, lightly stroking the top of my head as she passed by.

I was still thinking about…things when she suddenly extended a hand to me. _Was this her version of a peace offering? _I was unsure, but reached out and took her hand in mine, stroking the top of it with my thumb.

"So…now what?"

"I don't know. Didn't think that far ahead." _Christ, I didn't even think you'd open the door for me. I'm surprised I got that far._

"Something made you come back, right?"

"Yeah…Wilson said I was being an idiot." _Close enough to the truth._

"Sure, this was all Wilson." _Mostly. It was *mostly* Wilson. If I hadn't gone whining to him, I wouldn't be here right now._ "I'm sure there's more to the story than that."

_Is this the part where I talk about my…feelings? Aargh…_"Look, I really don't want to go into it." _Oh, hell. Stop being an idiot. That's what got you into this mess in the first place, remember? _"Just know that…" _Go on…man up already! _"Just know that…I'm sorry…and I'm an ass…and I didn't want to lose you before we even got started." _Jesus…was that so hard? YES, actually, it was. Stick a fork in me. I. Am. Done._

Cam just sat there, smiling at me. "You never *lost* me, you idiot." _What? _"Think about all the times you've pushed me away. Have I ever…gone away?" _Hmm…she kind of has you there, House. *I've* always been the one running away…_

She rose from the couch and leaned over me, hands on the armrests of the chair. "I'm not going anywhere. If you haven't figured that out by now—"

_Enough already…_I reached out, grabbed her by her neck and pulled her into a long, deep, heartfelt kiss. Cam gasped and leaned into me, running her delicate hands through what was left of my hair. I moved my hands to caress the small of her back, still remembering the feel of her skin from our previously aborted make out session. She straddled me, bumping my bad leg on her way through.

"This…this is not going to work." I grunted, already feeling a cramp building. Cam pulled away with that hurt look on her face again. _Whoops, poor choice of words. Let me rephrase that._ "I meant this *chair*. This chair is not big enough for the two of us." I looked directly into her lovely gray-green eyes and…winked._ Yeah, I'm feeling big and bold now…_"We need to move this party…elsewhere."

**Now we're getting somewhere...keep reading, keep reviewing, I'll keep writing. :D**


	17. I Should Be Sleeping

**Same old, same old. Usual disclaimers apply. Enjoy. :)**

**House**

Cam looked at me with a mixture of relief and…mischief, maybe? Hard to tell with her sometimes. All I knew was that I would do whatever it took to *not* upset her again. I wasn't kidding when I told her I didn't deal well with crying women. I don't do comfort and reassurance, as a general rule. Kind of hard to reassure someone when you're not feeling so secure yourself.

She rose to a standing position and held out a hand to me. _Right, like you're really going to help me out of this chair. You're a funny one, Cam._ I waved her off and reached for my cane. She started down the hallway, turning around to make sure I followed.

I was definitely going to follow.

We were partway down the short hallway when that old familiar fear clutched at me, the same fear that had sent me screaming out into the night and down the road earlier. I froze, a million thoughts racing through my mind. If I continued down that hallway, it would change everything. Everything. If it were any other woman, it wouldn't have mattered quite so much. I would have headed down that hallway without a second thought. This…_thing…_with Cameron was very different, and that scared the hell out of me.

Cam stopped once she realized I wasn't following her anymore. She turned around and tilted her head at me, placing her hands on her hips.

"What's wrong now?" Her voice was a blend of amusement and exasperation. I just shook my head in response. My thoughts were so jumbled that they didn't even make sense to me, so I knew there was no way I'd be able to explain it to her. She moved toward me and took my hand, stroking it gently. "Too much, too fast?" _Yes…no…maybe…get out of my head, woman!_

Cam raised my hand to her lips and brushed it with a gentle kiss. "This doesn't have to be, you know." _What? Okay, you've lost me here._ "No pressure, remember?" _Oh yeah, that. No pressure…just fun. I think I'm missing something here._ She rolled her eyes at me in exasperation. "We can sleep together without…sleeping together, if you catch my drift."

I finally found my voice. "Why the hell would I want to do that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know…you seem a bit…"

"Jesus, Cam…" I thumped my cane in frustration. "If I didn't want this…I wouldn't be here right now…"

Cam put a finger to my lips. "Shut up, you." She pressed her lips to mine, long and lingering, almost as a caress. I felt the tension leave my body as she continued to kiss me, her tongue gently seeking entrance. I responded in kind, fear leaving me and desire taking its place.

We broke apart and stared at each other for a moment before she took my hand and led me the rest of the way down the hallway. "Come on, old man. It's been a long day…let's get some sleep."

_Well hot damn. I can't wait to see the look on Wilson's face when I tell him I slept with Cameron…_I grinned to myself and followed Cam into the bedroom.

**Cameron**

"_Let's move this party…elsewhere." _Greg seemed to be a little closer to his usual bravado-filled self. I got off his lap and offered him a hand up. I felt bad about bumping him earlier, and I figured I could at least offer some assistance. He waved me away in vague annoyance and used his cane to push himself out of the chair.

I started down the hallway, hearing Greg's familiar step-thump gait behind me. I turned around, making sure he was still following. About halfway down the hall, I noticed an odd silence.

_Oh, for Christ's sake…Now what's going on? I thought we were past this._ I turned around, hands on hips, hoping to defuse things with humor once again. "What's wrong now?" Greg looked at me with that same deer-in-the-headlights expression he wore back in the kitchen and shook his head. _Shit, he's scared. Nothing more…but it's enough to make him hold back. Okay, approach carefully. Think 'wild animal'. No sudden moves or he'll bolt…again. Christ, no wonder he's still single._

I met Greg where he stood and took his hand, stroking it gently. "Too much, too fast?" He didn't say anything, but sort of nodded in the affirmative. _Good grief, why didn't you just say so? Oh, right, because that worked so well last time. Okay, new approach. _I brought his hand to my lips and placed a soft kiss in his rough palm. "This doesn't have to be, you know." Greg looked at me skeptically. "No pressure, remember?" He barely responded, and I rolled my eyes in exasperation. _Apparently I need to draw him a picture. I can't believe he's that clueless. _"We can sleep together without…sleeping together, get what I mean?"

That got his attention. "Why the hell would I want to do that?" He barked out harshly.

_Gee, I don't know, you tell me. You're the one silently freaking out in my hallway. _"I don't know…you seem a bit…"

"Jesus, Cam!" Greg thumped his cane in frustration. "If I didn't want this…I wouldn't be here right now…"

_Okay, okay, I think I get it. Chill out._ I placed a finger over his lips. "Shut up, you." I reached up on tiptoe and pressed my lips against his in a long, languorous, caressing kiss. I could feel him relax, and his tongue pushed forward into my mouth, tangling with mine. _Aah…now *that's* what I'm talking about. If he hadn't come back…I would have missed this. _

We broke apart and just looked at each other. I took his hand again and led him down the hallway to the bedroom. "Come on, old man. It's been a long day…let's go get some sleep."

_I can hear Foreman and Chase already when they get the word I slept with House. Oh, Monday morning's going to be very, very interesting…_

**House**

I didn't quite know what to expect when I entered Cam's bedroom. If I was expecting a room exploding with…extreme girliness, I was going to be seriously disappointed. This was one instance where I was okay with disappointment. The room was, if anything, the polar opposite of what I expected. _Okay, I'm only taking in her bedroom décor because it's easier than dealing with…whatever. Screw it, I'm beat…I think I actually just want to crash. This day hasn't turned out anything like I expected…good and bad. Glad it ended on a good note._

I sat down on the end of the bed while Cam went into the bathroom. After toeing off my boots, I removed my jacket and button-down shirt and tossed them on the chair near her door. I paused before unbuckling my jeans and sliding them off, leaving them on the floor near the end of her bed. My boxers were long enough that they mostly covered up the gnarly scar on my right leg, but I was still self-conscious about letting Cam see it. _I've exposed enough of myself for one night_, I thought to myself as I slipped under the covers. _Besides…_I cut off my thought there. No sense getting ahead of myself. I laid back against the soft pillow and closed my eyes, letting my body relax into her equally soft mattress.

The mattress moved slightly as Cam climbed in, and her scent wafted over, filling my nostrils with its sweetness. She turned off the light next to her bed and settled in with her back turned to me, then awkwardly reached behind her, finding my hand and squeezing it lightly.

"G'night, Greg."

"Night, Cam."

She released my hand and we fell into a rare non-awkward silence. I kind of wondered what she was thinking about as she lay there. _Hello…you are turning into *such* a girl._ I huffed and rolled over onto my left side so that I was turned toward Cam. Part of me wanted to reach out and touch her, to run my hand over the curve of her hip, to feel the soft skin underneath that t-shirt.

I tentatively reached out and placed a hand on her waist, lightly rubbing the thin cotton material with my thumb. She murmured something I couldn't quite make out and scooted closer to me. I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arm fully around her waist, placing a couple of soft kisses on the back of her neck.

She chuckled softly. "Whatcha doing?"

_Damn. Busted again. _"Uh…nothing. Just feeling…" _Cuddly! You almost said 'cuddly'. Snap out of it! You're in serious danger of losing your man card. Or being mistaken for Wilson. _"…better."

"Mmm…good." Cam curled closer to me, pressing fully against my body. "This is kind of nice, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." I impulsively kissed her hairline near her earlobe. _I can't believe I almost missed out on this. Wilson's right. I *am* an idiot._ _Not for long, though, believe that._ I thought of that old song I had played for her on the piano only the night before.

"_In the dead of winter…if springtime never comes…you're my sweet maple sugar, honey…hot buttered rum…"_

Cam laughed sleepily and interlaced her fingers with mine. "Night, Greg. See you in the morning."

"Same to you, Cam."

**Cameron**

Greg was already under the covers by the time I returned from the bathroom. His jacket and button-down were on the chair by the door, and his jeans lay crumpled on the floor by the foot of the bed. He was stretched out, eyes closed, one arm at his side, the other laid across his chest. I was almost disappointed that he had left his t-shirt on. _All in good time, Allie. Just the fact that he's still here is pretty amazing. Let's not ask for out and out miracles here._

I slipped under the covers and lay beside him, trying not to disturb him. Once settled, I turned over on my left side and closed my eyes, curling up under the pile of covers. I reached behind me until I felt Greg's hand, squeezing lightly.

"G'night, Greg."

"Night, Cam." He answered sleepily.

I let go and settled in under the covers. Greg made a 'hmph' sort of noise, and I felt him roll over, reaching out a hand to caress my waist.

"Hey, there." I mumbled and scooted closer to him. He responded by pressing into me and wrapping his arm fully around my waist, then kissed me a couple of times on the back of my neck.

_Greg, you dog…_"Whatcha doing?"

"Uh…nothing. Just feeling…" he paused briefly. "…better."

I smiled inwardly and chuckled. _How *much* better…STOP. Easy does it, Allie. Plenty of time for that. _"Mmm…good." I snuggled up a bit closer. "This is nice, isn't it?" _Better than nice, actually. This just feels…right._

"Yeah, it is." Greg kissed me at my hairline, near my earlobe. I heard him start humming, and I recognized it as the song he played on the piano just last night.

"_In the dead of winter…if springtime never comes…you're my sweet maple sugar, honey…hot buttered rum."_

I laughed sleepily and interlaced my fingers with his. _The closet romantic strikes again. I'll never tell. _"Night, Greg. See you in the morning."

"Same to you, Cam."

**Ah, romance...ain't it grand? The ride's not over yet, though. Read, review, love. :)**

**(Music Credit: "Hot Buttered Rum", The Red Clay Ramblers, _Chuckin' the Frizz)_**


	18. Easy Like Sunday Morning

**And the story rolls on...and I still don't own them or the music. Dammit.**

**House**

Grey light slipped through Cam's curtains, once again waking me up. Even though I slept better curled up next to Cam, I still slept in fits and starts, no thanks to the virtually useless piece of shit known as my right leg. Still, some decent sleep was better than none, and at least I hadn't needed to resort to copious amounts of bourbon on top of my usual drugs to accomplish that mission.

Despite the pain and stiffness, I was reluctant to leave the warm bed and the warm woman that slept in it. Instead, I leaned into Cam, right arm wrapped around her, my hand spread out along her stomach. I still wanted to reach under that t-shirt to the soft skin I knew lay beneath, but I didn't know how she would react to being awakened that way. Speaking for myself, I was a bear first thing in the morning. For all I knew, she could be worse. I was in no mood to take any more chances.

Sighing slightly, I eased myself away from Cam and slowly made my way out from under the covers. I scooted down to the end of the bed and let my legs hang over the end. My leg was throbbing, so I gave it a brief rub before I reached down for the jeans on the floor.

"Hey, morning, Sunshine." A sleepy voice reached my ears before I could get to my jeans. I smiled despite my pain and turned my head toward the voice.

"Morning. Sleep okay?"

"Sure did." I could feel her move out from under the covers and come up behind me. Suddenly I felt overexposed. The edge of my boxers rode up slightly, exposing a good inch or so of that damn scar. I placed my hand over it, pretending to massage it as she wrapped her arms over my shoulders and chest. She proceeded to leave a flurry of soft kisses on the back of my neck, starting at my hairline and ending at the collar of my t-shirt.

"Mmm…nice way to wake up…but I need to get to my drugs." I turned my head and kissed her on the forehead. _That was no lie. I could kind of get used to this._

She laughed at me. "Way to break the spell, Prince Charming." Cam rubbed me affectionately between my shoulder blades and bounced off the bed. "I'll put on coffee." _Oh HELL yes. That would be a nice fringe benefit of hanging with Cam. Then I wouldn't have to wait until I get to work to get that Cameron Coffee. _I was positively giddy at the thought. _God, I'm goofy today. The aliens must have finished that brain transplant. _

Cam padded out of the room, and I watched her as I reached down for my jeans. Her hair was a bit of a mess, and the t-shirt clung to her delicate curves perfectly. The lounge pants dragged slightly on the floor, hiding her feet and making her look a little child-like. _No, House, that's not weird. That's not weird at all. She *is* a kid compared to you, but still…_ I pulled the Vicodin bottle out of the pocket and swallowed two before putting on my jeans and wandering out to the living room.

Music flowed out of the speakers, that same gentle bluegrass sound that we were listening to the night before. Cam was in the kitchen, puttering around with the coffeemaker and pulling out ingredients for breakfast. I limped over to the counter, pulled out one of the stools, and had a seat, enjoying the view as she worked. She started singing along with the song as she scrambled eggs, toasted bread, and poured coffee.

"_Blue night..got you on my mind…blue night…can't keep from crying…"_ I no longer felt like I was stuck in someone's bad movie soundtrack. It was an upbeat tune that covered up the gloomy lyrics. Brilliant.

"You've got a nice voice there, Cam. More suited for this stuff than for Aretha." Cam jumped slightly and turned around. She smiled and set a mug of steaming goodness in front of me. I sipped appreciatively. "And you make a damn fine cup of coffee. Hate to think I could have lost this, too."

Cam tilted her head slightly, as if she were trying to read me. Finding nothing, she turned her attention back to breakfast. She pulled a couple of plates out of the drainer, loaded them up, and presented one to me. She continued to stand at the counter, starting in on her own plate. For once, the silence seemed comfortable.

We finished eating and Cam collected the dishes, starting her clean up process. She started the water, adding soap and placing the dishes in the sink. I hopped down from the stool and carried my mug over for a refill before settling in next to her on the rinse side. My ear caught the next song. _Billy Joel._ _Ah, now we're back on familiar ground. _

"_It comes down to reality…and that's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide…Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside…I don't have any reasons…I've left them all behind…I'm in a New York state of mind…"_ I started singing along as I rinsed up what few dishes remained. _God, it's almost too perfect…me…Cam…a lazy Sunday morning…when's the other shoe going to drop?_

Cam rinsed out the sink as I put the last dish in the drainer. "Thanks for the help. I never figured you for a domestic type."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not. Matter of fact, somebody's out there figuring out how to pull my man card right now. Don't get used to all this, kid."

She placed a hand on the small of my back as she reached up to kiss me. I met her kiss, answering with a bit of force, letting my tongue play around her lips. Cam let me in, sliding her hands from my back to lightly grab my ass. _No. She. Didn't. Damn…that's kind of hot._

"Did you just grab my ass, woman?" I muttered as I worked my way from Cam's mouth down her neck, spending a little extra time at the base of her throat.

"Maybe…" Cam gasped as moved from her throat to her collarbone.

"Oh, you're in trouble…"

**Cameron**

I woke up when I felt Greg scoot to the end of the bed. Lifting myself on one elbow, I simply watched him. He was obviously hurting, as he sat there absentmindedly rubbing his leg. I was surprised to see him awake at all, since he'd been tossing and turning a good deal in the night.

I shoved the covers aside and crawled over to him. His boxers rode up a bit, exposing his muscular legs and a portion of the puckered scar on his right leg. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and chest, planting little kisses from his hairline down to the collar of his t-shirt. He quickly moved to cover the scar, pretending to massage it as I gave him a quick squeeze. _I wish he didn't feel the need to cover that up. It is what it is, after all. I certainly don't give a damn._

"Morning, Sunshine."

He turned his head and smiled. "Morning. Sleep okay?" His voice was husky with sleep and undeniably sexy.

"Sure did."

He kissed me on the forehead. "Nice way to wake up…but…I need my drugs."

_Well, duh, of course. He's probably still feeling a little rough from yesterday. _"Way to break the spell, Prince Charming." _A scruffy, sleepy Prince Charming, but still…_"I'll go put on coffee." I hopped off the bed and padded toward the kitchen.

Normally I just do coffee in the morning, but I was feeling particularly ambitious this morning. I set up my I Pod dock, picking one of my more mellow playlists to go with the lazy morning. Once I started the coffeemaker, I pulled out eggs and bread and put a pan on to heat, singing along with the I Pod.

"_Blue night…got you on my mind…blue night…can't keep from crying…"_

"You've got a nice voice. Better suited to that stuff than to Aretha."

Greg had plopped down on one of the stools in front of the kitchen counter. His hair was sticking up in all directions, and he had an extra day's growth of scruff on his face to go with that slightly dopey, half asleep look. To me, he had never looked better. I set him up with a mug of coffee and continued with breakfast.

"And you make a damn fine cup of coffee. I would have hated to lose that, too." _Lose that, too? Is this another fun game of Read Greg's Mind? I hope not, because I'm not doing so well with that one lately._

Not seeing anything, I loaded up a couple of plates, setting one in front of Greg while I stood at the counter. We ate in companiable silence, and afterwards I collected the dishes and started the dish washing process.

I had just started when Greg moved to stand beside me. He poured another mug of coffee and started rinsing the few dishes that had accumulated. _Hello, hot news flash. Gregory House is being…domestic! That's it, hell has officially frozen over._

When Billy Joel started on the I Pod, Greg started to sing along in that now-familiar growling baritone. _"It comes down to reality…and that's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide…Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside…I don't have any reasons…I've left them all behind…I'm in a New York state of mind…"_

_It's almost too perfect. Me…Greg…a lazy Sunday morning…and Billy Joel. It almost couldn't get any better…_

"Thanks for your help." I started rinsing out the wash sink. "I never figured you for a domestic type."

Greg predictably rolled his eyes. "I'm not. Matter of fact, someone's trying to figure out how to pull my man card right now. Don't get used to this, kid."

_Kid? KID?! Oh hell, no. I'll show you what this 'kid' can do._ I placed one hand on the small of his back as I reached up to kiss him. He returned with one of his own, pressing his tongue against my lips, searching for entrance. I slid both hands from his back down to grab his ass. He gasped in surprise.

"Did you just grab my ass, woman?" He muttered as he worked his way from my mouth down my neck, lingering at the base of my throat.

"Maybe…" I barely got the word out as Greg moved sensuously from my throat to my collarbone.

"Oh, you're in trouble…"

**Hate to leave you hanging, but... ;)**

**Music Credits**

**"Blue Night", Hot Rize, _Hot Rize  
_"New York State of Mind", Billy Joel, _Turnstiles_**


	19. This Wheel's On Fire

**Okay, smut alert ahead. If it's not your thing, don't read. :) I don't own them, never will, yadda, yadda.**

**House**

To say Cameron caught me off guard was an understatement. _Someone needs to call those X-Files people. The aliens took her brain, too…_My thoughts trailed off as Cam slid her hands under my t-shirt, lightly caressing my back.

A small groan escaped me, and I shifted my weight to take pressure off my right leg. My hands moved to her hips, pulling her closer to me until our bodies were in full contact. Cam moaned softly as I traced along the collar of her t-shirt with my tongue, throwing her head back to fully expose her graceful neck.

Something broke inside me. My brain shut down, and my senses were filled with nothing but the sweet sounds of pleasure escaping from Cam's lips. I slid my hands from her hips to her waist, pushing up the t-shirt to feel the silky soft skin underneath. I continued up her back until I reached where her bra…should have been. _Shit, how did I miss THAT?! I'm slipping in my old age…_

By now I had Cam trapped between me and the counter, and my heart pounded as I recalled how our last kitchen encounter had ended. _No way in HELL am I going to let that happen again._ I pushed my doubts aside and moved my hands to circle her ribcage, stroking her just under her breasts. She made a little noise, somewhere between a squeak and a gasp, and arched her back over the counter.

I wanted to strip her down right then and there, and I would have…if it weren't for that damn leg. It was protesting despite my attempts to keep my weight off it. I pushed against Cam one more time, nearly crushing her, and met her lips in a bruising kiss.

"Bedroom. _NOW._" I barely managed to choke out the words. She nodded and slipped out of my arms, heading into the living room and down the hallway.

I had no doubts about following her this time.

**Cameron**

I heard Greg groan as I slipped my hands under his t-shirt, lightly touching the small of his back. I filed away that particular piece of information for a later time. _Never know when that will come in handy…_My thoughts were cut off when Greg roughly pulled me close to him, hands on my hips, moving his mouth from the base of my throat to trail his tongue along the collar of my shirt.

He slid his hands from my hips up to my waist, pushing my shirt up with his rough hands, feeling his way up my back until he reached where my bra would normally be. He growled and circled my ribcage, thumbs stroking just under my breasts and pressing me harder against the kitchen counter.

_Don'tstopnowpleasedon'tstopnowdon'trunawaylikelasttime…_I let out a sound of pleasure and arched my back against the counter. Greg grunted softly, nearly crushing me as he rushed in for a bruising kiss.

"Bedroom. _NOW._" He whispered harshly in my ear. I was too breathless to speak, so I merely nodded and slipped out of his arms, making my way through the living room and down the hallway.

_If he doesn't follow me this time…I swear I'll drag him._

**House**

She was waiting for me when I finally made it into the bedroom. I leaned against the doorframe, catching my breath while I took in what laid before me. _Well…what are you waiting for? Get in there already…_

I limped over to the bed and climbed in over the end, sidling up next to Cam. She curled an arm around me, her hand under my shirt, finding that sweet spot on my back once again. I arched my back slightly at the touch and growled in pleasure. My hand slipped under her t-shirt and caressed the soft skin of her stomach while I placed small kisses along her jawline.

"Mmm…" Cam made small noises of pleasure as I worked my way down her neck. "Not going anywhere this time, are you?"

"Hell. " I pressed my lips into her neck. "No." I nipped at her earlobe, causing her to gasp.

She pushed up my t-shirt, tugging it until I pulled my arms out, then she pulled it over my head and tossed it to the floor. Suddenly I was on my back, Cam straddling me and spreading her hands over my chest, sliding down my body, leaving a trail of kisses from the base of my throat down my stomach to just above my belt buckle. She paused, lightly stroking either side of my stomach, making me twitch and squirm with pure pleasure.

I found the hem of her shirt and whipped it over Cam's head and off her body, throwing it over the side of the bed. The feel of her skin against mine was almost more than I could take as she started to work my belt buckle loose. After some fumbling, she unfastened my jeans and started to slide them over my hips. I winced as she brushed against my scar, but it didn't seem to slow her down. _Good…this would be one hell of a place to stop. And I definitely don't want her to stop now._

My jeans hit the floor and she slid her hands up my thighs, stopping when she hit my scar. I reached down and stroked Cam's head, running my fingers through the thick brown hair.

"Did I hurt you?" Her question caught me by surprise.

"What?" _You stopped. Why the hell did you stop?!_ "Nooo…I'm just…the scar…it's…complicated…" _God…I can't even put two words together…do we have to talk about this right NOW?!_ "Whatever you're doing…don't stop…"

Cam smiled at me, stroking my left thigh while pressing a gentle kiss directly on my scar on the right. I groaned as she made her way back up my body, resting her hands around the waistband of my boxers. In one quick move, she slipped them off me, leaving me completely exposed. My breath came out in short pants as Cam lightly scratched the inside of my thighs with her nails, following with soft little kisses.

_Jesus…she's killing me…_

I roughly grabbed her arms and pulled her on top of me, flipping her onto her back. I held down her wrists while I captured one nipple in my mouth, lightly running my tongue over it until it hardened. Cam let out a strangled grasp as I moved to the other, leaving little kisses as I did so. She was squirming under my ministrations as I kept moving downward, slowly releasing her wrists and moving to the waistband of her lounge pants.

Fumbling around for a bit, I managed to untie the strings that held up her pants, hurriedly wiggling the pants and her underwear over her hips and off her body in one shot, with her kicking them off the rest of the way.

I hung back and looked her over, appraising her from head to toe. _DAMN, she's beautiful. _Her eyes were half-closed, her lips slightly parted, her breath coming out in little pants. I slid down and kissed her stomach, causing a small moan and a curse to escape her lips. Smiling to myself, I kissed my way down to her center, brushing my hand across her hair to her left thigh while I pressed little tongue kisses to her right.

She squealed softly and arched her back, practically begging me to continue. I found her soft spot and gently played around with my fingers, then replacing them with my tongue.

"Greeeg…" Her strained voice made it clear that she was dancing all over the edge. I left her and kissed my way back up so that I was looking her in the face. Cam was squirming under me, and I was ridiculously close to that same edge myself just from looking at her. I crushed my lips against hers, demanding entrance with my tongue. She was equally demanding as she wrapped her arms around me, arching her back to get as close as she could to me.

"Where's your…"

"Nightstand drawer."

I wrapped myself up and prepared to enter her. Cam suddenly rolled us over until I was on my back, straddling me and taking me in completely.

"Cam…"

"Greg…"

She let go first, her muscles clenching around me as she groaned , shaking and falling against my chest. I wasn't far behind, and we lay there for a moment, attempting to recover. I spread my hands across her back and absentmindedly stroked her, marveling at how far we had come in just over a week. I still had no clue what she saw in me, but right then, it didn't matter. It didn't matter at all.

**Cameron**

I made it to the bedroom first and laid down on the bed, hoping Greg wasn't having another freak-out. He finally showed up, breathing a little heavily and leaning against the door frame. He crawled in over the end of the bed and tucked in next to me. I slipped a hand under his shirt and lightly stroked his lower back, making him react like he had back in the kitchen. He slid his hand under my t-shirt and caressed my stomach, his rough hand still gentle on my skin while he kissed me along my jawline and down my neck.

"Mmm…not going anywhere this time, are you?"

"Hell. No." His voice was ragged as he nipped at my earlobe.

I pushed up his t-shirt, managing to get it over his head and off his body, tossing it aside. I wasn't sure what I would find underneath, but what I saw did not disappoint. Salt and pepper hair sprinkled across a softly muscular chest, trailing down his slight belly pooch and disappearing into his jeans. I pushed him onto his back, straddling him while I stroked his chest and kissed my way down to his belt buckle, feeling him shiver under me.

I paused, unsure whether Greg wanted me to continue. I lightly caressed both sides of his stomach, leaving him twitching and squirming. He groaned, finding the hem of my shirt and whipped it over my head, throwing it onto the floor. His hands never left my back as I fumbled with his belt buckle, finally undoing his jeans and sliding them off him and onto the floor near the foot of the bed. I started stroking his strong thighs, the left one obviously more developed than the right. I felt him tense when I found his scar. In the heat of the moment, I had forgotten all about the damn thing.

"Did I hurt you?" I had no clue how sensitive it was, but I knew how sensitive *he* was.

"What?!" Greg seemed surprised. "Noo…it's just…it's…complicated…" His voice faded, stroking my hair, encouraging me to continue. "Whatever you're doing…_don't stop…_"

I smiled to myself, pressing a light kiss to his scar before moving my hands up his thighs until I reached the waistband of his boxers. I quickly removed them and raked my nails lightly along his inner things, hearing him groan, feeling him twitch under me.

He roughly grabbed me, pulling me onto his chest and flipping me on my back, holding my wrists down as captured my nipple with his tongue, playing with it before kissing his way over to the other. I could feel my desire building as he let go of my wrists and moved downward, tenderly kissing my stomach.

"Holy shit…" _Don't you DARE stop now…_

Greg kept moving down, fumbling with the tie on my pants. He finally got them undone and pushed them and my underwear over my hips in one shot. I managed to kick them loose while he planted soft, wet kisses all over my thigh, stroking the other with the palm of his hand. I felt his fingers brush through my hair at my core, finding an exquisitely sensitive spot.

Just when I thought it was too much, he switched out his fingers for his mouth. That damn near sent me over the edge, and I arched my back, nearly screaming in pleasure. He stopped just short and pushed himself back up, intently looking me over, then captured my lips in a bruising kiss, his tongue competing with mine for dominance.

"Where's your…"

"Nightstand drawer." _I'll be damned if anything slows us down now…_

Greg prepared himself to enter me, but I caught him just right and pushed us over so I was once again straddling him. I took him in and we rocked each other, easily finding a rhythm with each other.

"Cam…" His voice was rough with tension.

"Greg…"

I found my release first, relaxing against his chest. He wasn't far behind, and we collapsed against each other, trying to recover. Greg held me close, rubbing my back with those rough, elegant hands of his.

_All the shit I had to go through to get here…it was worth every minute._ _Every damn minute._

**You know the drill...you read and review, and I'll keep writing.**


	20. Just Another Day

**Okay, I think I'm getting ready to wrap this puppy up. Thanks for reading, and thanks for all your reviews. :)**

**House**

Cam and I lazed away the afternoon on the couch, watching movies and eating leftover pizza. I couldn't recall a time when things had felt so easy and relaxed with a woman. Of course, I could hardly call Cam an ordinary woman. She had given me not just one extra chance, but two, really. It was nothing short of miraculous, and I'm not one to believe in miracles.

However, all good things have to come to an end, and Sunday evening found me back at my place, fiddling around on the piano, reliving the weekend. Monday morning was going to be mighty interesting, no question. I didn't quite know how I was going to handle my blossoming relationship with Cam on the work front. All I knew was…nothing. I didn't know anything. I was sailing in uncharted waters. _There are worse places to be, I suppose._ Oddly enough, this was one instance where I didn't mind not knowing. As long as Cam was with me, I'd follow this road wherever it led. I chuckled at my uncharacteristically sentimental thought, allowing the music to flow out of my fingers.

Yes, Monday would be interesting, indeed.

**Cameron**

Greg and I spent the afternoon sharing movies, leftover pizza, and laughter. It was as if we were in our own little world, one I was reluctant to leave. This weekend had revealed a very different Gregory House, the one I knew was deep in hiding all the time I had known him. He would never admit it, of course, but I knew, and that's all that really mattered. I hoped things wouldn't change too much come Monday morning, and I was a little apprehensive about how we would handle the work situation.

Eventually Greg had to head home, and I had a long list of neglected chores to attend to. As I collected laundry, I noticed he had somehow left his button down shirt behind. I put it on while I did my mundane household tasks, occasionally lifting the collar to take a deep whiff of Greg's signature scent. I giggled a bit, chiding myself for acting like a teenager with her first crush. His shirt did smell awfully good, though.

Monday would be…interesting, to say the least.

**Wilson**

I had already been in my office for a couple hours, looking over patient files and finishing paperwork leftover from the weekend. I hadn't heard from House since his slightly panicked call Saturday night, and I hoped for his sake that he was able to get up the nerve to at least talk to Cameron. She seemed nice enough, after all, and I was pretty sure she didn't want to break his heart.

I got my answer soon after. I heard a familiar step-thump in the hallway, followed by a booming baritone. _"Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day…"_

_What. The. Hell. _The voice got louder the closer it came to my office. I tensed slightly, awaiting the inevitable arrival of Hurricane House.

He merely poked his head in the door. "Morning, Jimmy." _Jimmy? Hmm…this could go either way…_

"Morning, House. How was your weekend?" I was guarded, not sure what to expect.

House tilted his head and looked toward the ceiling. "Mmm…can't complain…for once."

_Come on, House. Believe it or not, I've got other things to do besides play head games with you._ He ducked into my office and closed the door. He glanced around the room, looked down at his feet, then looked at me with a serious expression.

"You were right." I thought I was going to faint. This *never* happens. Ever.

"What?!"

He sighed and looked annoyed. "I said…you were right." House's mouth twitched in what was almost a smile. "I went back, you know. I…talked to her…you could say we…worked it out." He smirked a little and winked at me. "See you at lunch? You're buying, you know."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I know. See you around, House."

He turned around and walked out of my office. I could have sworn he had just a bit of a bounce in his step, and he was whistling that same damn song he had entered singing. The world had gone crazy for sure, but maybe, just maybe, this was a bit of crazy we could all learn to live with.

**Cameron**

I got to work a little later than usual, having slept through my alarm. _Guess that weekend took more out of me than I thought. Oof._ Despite my tiredness, I was feeling good, and I was humming when I walked into the conference room.

Chase and Foreman were both there when I entered humming. Foreman arched an eyebrow at me over his medical journal, and Chase just looked at me with a ponderous expression as I wandered over to the coffeemaker and started a fresh pot.

"Morning, guys." They nodded and murmured in greeting.

I filled my cup and made my way to the laptop, starting my usual ritual of checking e-mails before moving on to researching the article I was working on. I felt two pairs of eyes on me, but didn't say anything. _Let them work their minds a little bit. It won't hurt them any._ I smiled to myself and took another sip of coffee.

Just then Greg…House entered the conference room…whistling. _Whistling? Oh…this could go a couple of different ways. Don't. Say. Anything._

He hung his cane on the whiteboard and tossed copies of a case file onto the table, then filled his mug. Limping over to the whiteboard, he picked up a marker and started scribbling symptoms on the board. He stopped to take a drink of his coffee, sighing appreciatively.

"That's a damn good cup of coffee, Cameron. Almost as good as the stuff you made yesterday morning." He looked directly at me and winked suggestively. I blushed furiously, and Foreman held his hand out to Chase. Chase grumbled and slapped a 50 dollar bill in his palm.

House turned to Chase and shook his head. "You'd think you'd know better by now. Quit betting against Foreman and maybe you'll start keeping some of your money. Okay, differential diagnosis, people…"

And we were off and running. It was just another day, and I couldn't be happier.

**House**

Everyone reacted pretty much as expected to the news of mine and Cameron's new relationship. _Relationship? Yes, relationship. That's what the cool kids are calling it nowadays._

Wilson was delighted, Foreman was amused, Chase was annoyed, and Cuddy warned me that our relationship had better not interfere with our work, but I think she was cool with it, too. Oh, and the best part…Cameron's beet red face as I commented on her coffee. She would probably threaten to kill me later, but it was so worth it just to see the other ducklings' reactions. One of these days that bonehead Chase is going to start learning to keep his money. Foreman's a hell of a lot more observant than he lets on.

Speaking for myself…I was hopeful for the first time in years. Maybe I actually had a reason now. Yeah, that whole thing about being changed by a good woman's love is basically bullshit, but it didn't mean I didn't want to do better. Whatever the future brought, as long as Cameron was along for the ride, things couldn't be all bad.

**You know what to do. Read, review, love.**


	21. Epilogue: Bless the Broken Road

**Okay, definitely the end of the road. Thank you so much for reading. :)**

**Ten years later…**

**Cameron**

It was a typical lazy Sunday morning for us. I was making breakfast in the kitchen, and Greg was at the piano, our four-year-old son at his side. As I watched the two of them, I simply marveled at where our road had taken us.

It hadn't been easy, not by a long shot. That was just part of the rollercoaster that was Gregory House. So much had happened over time that I couldn't begin to digest it all. Once again, looking at my husband and son, I wondered what would have happened if I hadn't given Greg that one…no, _two_ more chances that particular weekend. All I knew was that I would have missed this…who ever would have guessed that Gregory House was sitting at a piano with his young child, alternating between silly songs and sweet romantic tunes.

_Our_ child. He was nothing short of a miracle. I miscarried twice, and turned down two subsequent marriage proposals, before this little guy entered the world. _Third time's the charm…or something. That's what people keep telling me, anyway, _Greg told me before presenting me once again with that ring. That year had been loaded down with more tragedy than most. Wilson's young girlfriend had died that spring, leaving both Greg and Wilson broken in their own way. Their friendship almost didn't survive, and there were times when I thought Greg wouldn't either. Just when they managed to patch things up, Kutner, one of Greg's favorite ducklings, killed himself, once again leaving Greg reeling.

Two months later, the pregnancy test came up positive…again. As things progressed, we finally dared to hope that this might be the one that stuck. Sure enough, our son entered the world bellowing, just like his dad. Greg held him close and rocked him, those big blue eyes shining with the same something I had seen all those years before. _Lawrence James House, _he declared, a fitting tribute to both his favorite duckling and his best friend. _If anyone tries to call him Larry, I swear I'll crack them in the head with my cane. He's NOT a Larry. He's Lawrence._

A familiar song on the piano pulled me out of my reverie. Greg was once again singing, attempting to teach it to Lawrence. Lawrence just leaned on his dad, his bright blue eyes filled with curiosity and wonder.

"…every long lost dream…led me to where you are…others who broke my heart…they were like northern stars…pointing me on my way…into your loving arms…this much I know is true…that God blessed the broken road…that led me straight to you…"

I smiled warmly and walked over to the piano, two mugs in my hand. I set the red one in front of Greg and a blue one filled with hot chocolate in front of Lawrence, wrapping an arm around each of them. Sunday morning with my guys…life just doesn't get better than that.

**House**

My son and I sat at the piano, enjoying a Sunday morning while Cam puttered around in the kitchen. Not quite 5 years had passed since she finally agreed to become my wife. I had to go through a hell of a lot to get there, that's for sure. So much had happened that it almost sounded like one of my soap operas.

Cam had miscarried twice before our little guy finally made an appearance. I stuck with her, trying to be a source of comfort for her, hardly an easy task for me. I asked her to marry me twice…and twice she turned me down. _I don't want you to marry me out of some misplaced sense of guilt…or…something, _she told me in that twisted Cameron logic._ Third time's the charm, that's what they tell me, anyway, _I fired back, refusing to give up on her…or us.

It had been a tougher year than usual for us. Wilson's CTB girlfriend had died that spring, and it was nearly the end of our epic friendship. Cam and I had one of our blowouts, and I ended up in some bar, drinking until I couldn't stand up straight. I called Wilson, but got Amber instead. If I could have done it all again…trust me, I wouldn't have. Wilson and I managed to patch things up, but it was never quite the same.

Just when Wilson and I started to find our footing again, Kutner shot himself. He hadn't shown up for work that day, unusual in itself. I sent Foreteen to hunt him down, only to discover his body. It shook me like nothing else. He was bright, curious, daring, appearing for all the world like such an easygoing guy…a better version of me. When he offed himself, it made me question everything. I thought I was losing my mind, and I'm sure Cam did, too. She stuck with me, though, all through the madness that followed.

Two months later, Cam was pregnant again. We barely dared to hope that this one would stick. When our son announced himself with a bellow, Cam burst out into tears…tears of joy this time. I fed off her emotion, holding our son close to my chest. His eyes already wandered around the room in wide-eyed curiosity, and his name immediately sprung to mind. _Lawrence James House._ The first was to honor my favorite duckling, and the other for the best friend who had convinced me to throw myself at Cam's feet, practically begging for mercy.

Lawrence leaned against me at the piano, listening to me play, and even plinking out a few notes of his own. I took a sip of my coffee, while he took a very serious sip of his hot chocolate. Cam squeezed us around the shoulders and went back to the kitchen to finish making breakfast.

"Listen to this." I whispered to Lawrence. "This is the song that made your mom fall in love with me. Wanna watch her swoon?" He giggled and nodded. "Okay, here goes."

"I get carried away…by the look, by the light in your eyes…before I even realize the ride I'm on…baby, I'm long gone…"

Cam laughed at me and shook her head. There are few sounds on this earth sweeter than that. I took in the scene that unfolded before us. I, Gregory House, a cranky, old, misanthropic, recovering drug addict, was surrounded by the love of a great woman and a sweet little boy. I'm not a sentimental kind of guy, but…it just doesn't get much better than this.

**I love a happy ending, don't you? Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Reviews have the same effect.**

**Music Credits:**

**"God Bless the Broken Road"_,_ Rascal Flatts, _Feels Like Today  
_"Carried Away", George Strait, _Clear Blue Sky_  
**


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